Silence of Knowledge
by eeevawn
Summary: She had dropped everything and come to this nation because he'd asked her to.  She felt relief at his request; relaxation at his written script.  She did not know why he'd asked her to show; only that he did.  And that was enough for her.
1. Chapter 1

Silence of Knowledge

Chapter 1

The Fire Nation was now a foreign land to her. It had been six years since she'd step foot on the warm lands. She had been off aiding countries that were in need of assistance since the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai. It was a tiring lifestyle, but it was necessary.

Tiredly, Katara climbed out of her small traveling vessel that was reminiscent of the bubble she'd used during the war years ago. She'd had Teo's father, the Mechanist, construct it for her. He, in all his genius glory, had made the vessel so that she could apply her bending to it, when need be.

Katara tied the vessel up to the dock and removed her boots before stepping onto the warm sand. Truth be told, she'd missed the reds and golds of everything that was the Fire Nation.

For the last year, she had been assisting Jet's small family as they continued to help rebuild their small Earth town. The sadness in their eyes from the loss of their leader hadn't gone away but they had grieved. They were going to be fine.

Katara took a few more steps before standing still and scrunching her toes in the sand, reveling in the feeling. She closed her eyes and stretched out her arms. The air felt so clean here, now. There was quite a sense of renewal upon this land that hadn't even been present when everyone had left all those years ago.

She had dropped everything and come to this nation because he'd asked her to. She felt relief at his request; relaxation at his written script. She did not know_ why_ he'd asked her to show; only that he did. And that was enough for her.

It had taken three days by water vessel to arrive. She only got out to stretch her limbs four times during the journey and to get air.

"You've arrived."

The water tribe woman opened her eyes to see the last airbender sitting atop his whirlwind of air, his hands on his knees, about ten steps away from her. Stooping down, she hurriedly stuffed her feet back into her boots, never mind the sand.

She blinked away the tears that were threatening to spill and ran towards the young man who quickly abandoned his post in midair. Katara threw her arms around the man. It had been three years since she'd seen Aang.

They'd last seen each other in Ba Sing Se after Katara had traveled to get their blind friend there safely. She and Toph had bickered the entire way there, but they had enjoyed each other's company, knowing that many did not have such an opportunity.

Toph was now under the watchful eye of, The Dragon of the West, Iroh, who was teaching her the 'trivial' information that was required for someone of nobility. She was to be crowned Lady of Ba Sing Se, with Iroh as her advisor.

"You're much taller than you were last time!" Katara exclaimed, a light smile on her face.

"I've been eating my veggies," smirked Aang. He was indeed much taller than she. He no longer wore his head shaved but he kept his dark hair cropped. Circling his forehead was a thin golden crown. He still dressed like an airbender.

"How've you been doing?"

Aang dropped his arm to her waist and guided her towards the carriage that would take them to the palace.

"When will Zuko learn?" Katara shook her head lightly. She wanted to _walk_ through the vast market that surrounded the palace to take in the scents and colors of everything that was distinctly this _new_ fire nation_._

"Well, I am active in the Fire Nation's governmental affairs while the Fire Lord is away on business. It's definitely not an easy job but I like it all the same. How have you been?" Aang responded to her earlier question with a smile.

They continued to walk past the carriage and into the marketplace. Everything was more beautiful than she recalled. Fruit and vegetable stands were everywhere as well as various trinket carts. Farmers were doing quite well in this economy as business with the Earth kingdom boomed. The two nations worked together in working out provision plans for the less fortunate cities around the world.

Here was happiness.

"I'm doing well. It's quite the task helping these cities but it's rewarding. The only issue I have is that I don't see you all as often as I'd like."

"I agree. I'm happy that you made it here safely. I'm afraid that there have been accounts of benders banding together to conduct acts of piracy on the seas," Aang said with a grimace. As a monk, it wasn't easy when people weren't kind to one another.

"Well, I wasn't really _on_ the seas, Aang." Katara grinned.

"Right you are. Any word from Sokka?" Aang's large grey eyes were curious.

"He's part of the task force that's looking into the attempted attacks on Ba Sing Se as far as I know."

Ahead of them, the palace didn't look as dark and foreboding as it had when Katara had first visited. The golden rays of the setting sun were hitting the red and white marble towers of the palace causing its beauty to be even more apparent.

"He must be doing well then because Iroh hasn't written us with any complaints," responded the Avatar with a light chuckle.

"How's…How is the Fire Lord doing?" asked Katara hesitantly. The last time that she'd seen Zuko, he had committed his sister to an asylum after Aang had stripped her of her bending. Though his sister was a dangerous power-hungry lunatic, he loved her.

Nothing had been easy but things were much better.

"As I can tell, he's been great. He has been a bit obsessed though. It's not my place to tell you what his obsession is in regards to."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," the waterbender smiled. It would be nice to hear it from the source.

The large palace doors pulled open upon their approach and there he stood; the Fire Lord.

Standing there before her, he looked just as he did when they were in that cave so long ago, when she had touched his scar. Back then, she would have blushed from such a thought but she was older now. The world had taught her how to deal with silly little thoughts in her head. Voicing said thoughts was another matter entirely.

He stood tall, like the man that he was, and she could tell that he was still quite in shape. His hair was short and he also wore the same band around his forehead that Aang did. His presence was knee-buckling. It had been so long since they'd seen one another.

Aang released Katara's waist and bowed before the Fire Lord.

"I know that you two have business to attend to. I'll go," said Aang before creating a ball of air and zooming off. Katara took a tentative step towards Zuko, but could not move any further. She didn't know how to greet him.

"It's been two years and that's all you can manage?" the scarred man grinned. He held out his arms and the tears that she held before sprang free. She considered herself a strong woman but she hadn't seen the man she loved since their brief encounter in the Earth Kingdom a couple of years ago.

She rushed into his arms, allowing the representative figure of the Fire Nation to envelope her in his warm embrace. The red of his scar, the gold of his eyes. This was what she remembered.

"Your hair? Where'd it all go?" Zuko questioned, releasing her from his hold. Katara wiped her eyes as best she could and lightly pat her head. He was referring to her crown of wavy hair that stopped short of her earlobes. Zuko began to lead them into the palace.

"With all of the traveling that I've been doing, it was best to chop it off. It would get snagged and all knotted up, so I decided to let it go," the dark-skinned woman smiled gingerly. Naïve Aang hadn't even noticed. If he had, he would have mentioned it.

Zuko had walked her to a small dining area. No doubt, they were in his personal quarters as he hated having servants stand behind him while he ate. There was only one maid in the room and she left as soon as she poured tea into their cups.

"You still look beautiful. Now, I'm sure you're hungry." The smile was in his voice. Katara grinned happily at the amount of foods that were on the table in front of them. She lowered herself to a pillow that was on the floor and Zuko did the same.

"I'm sorry about the extreme urgency that was present in the letter that I sent," Zuko started, "It wasn't my intention to have you drop what you were doing to come here."

He knew where she was and what she was there for every time that she relocated, thanks to his personal tracker, June, if only to know that she was safe.

"It was mine. The people needed to learn what to do on their own. I was there to help them gain control but they can't rely solely on someone to bring them out of a mess."

Katara looked down into the cup of freshly brewed tea that sat in front of her and smiled a tired smile.

"Besides, I needed a break."

"You deserve one but I did call you here for a reason. You specifically."

"And what would that reason be?" asked Katara with a quirk of a dark eyebrow.

"I need your help, Katara. I need to finally find my mother and you're the only one that I know who can help," were the words of Fire Lord Zuko.

"How is it that I'm the only one?"

"Remember when I helped you find your mother's killer? I need the same sense of retribution and I know that you understand that want. I'm not sure if my mother's dead or not but I'd like to find out. Peace of mind, if you will."

Katara glanced up into his golden eyes and saw the same look that she was sure had been on her face during the trip that had initially caused their friendship. Determination.

"You're right. I do understand. When do we start the search?" Katara grabbed a kebob off the table and started munching merrily. It had been a while since she had gone on a mission. A mission with Zuko would be exhilarating though her waterbending skills were rusty.

"We will wait until you're well-rested," Zuko stopped speaking when Katara held up her hand with an interjection.

"What if I told you that I was well-rested now? When do we start?"

"I'd say that you were lying. I can see the dark circles beneath your eyes. Give it a week. I still need to tie up a few loose ends with the council before leaving and it'll give you the time you need. There'll be a few sparring matches as well."

Katara narrowed her eyes. Call her selfish, but she wanted to get back out into the world of danger. She missed the thrill although she knew that peaceful times were nice.

"As long as I get to pummel you into the earth during these so-called sparring matches, _Fire Lord _Zuko," she smirked, finally giving in.

"Of course. I wouldn't mind setting you on fire, _Master _Katara." Zuko stood up and bowed to her before walking towards the door.

"I'll see you at dinner. Aang will have returned by then. I'm sure that you two have much to discuss."

"See you…Zuko."

Katara finished eating her fill, her thoughts afire. It seemed that he didn't even remember their time in the Earth Kingdom; a night of such wonder and abandonment. The night that she fell in love with him.


	2. Chapter 2

Silence of Knowledge

Chapter 2

Katara awakened with a start and jumped up immediately, taking on her defensive waterbending stance. One learned to train their body to be alert at all times when traveling alone a lot. The candles that had been burning along the walls had burned low, creating a dim atmosphere. What had caused her to awaken?

She blinked a few times in order to adjust her eyes and scanned the room. Nothing seemed out of place. She was in the same room that Zuko had left her in earlier.

"Damn," Katara whispered harshly to herself. She was late for dinner, if she hadn't missed it completely yet. After eating she had walked through a door that was in the room to discover a comfortably sized bath chamber. She had decided to wash up and she was thankful that one of Zuko's maids had lain out clean garments for her to change into. Beautiful red clothing that reminded her more strongly of the group's stay in the Fire Nation. After bathing free of the grime that coated her skin, she felt the need to close her eyes briefly. Unfortunately, it seemed that briefly turned into a few hours.

The Water Tribe woman stepped lightly to the door but stopped as soon as something flashed into her peripherals. She turned around quickly her arms up and ready to make a water whip out of the remaining tea sitting in the teapot on the table.

There, staring at her, were huge green eyes.

"Momo!" she exclaimed with a light laugh of relief. She had almost destroyed that winged-lemur. Momo flew up onto her shoulder and rubbed his face against hers softly. He smelled of the fruits that were on the table. Katara shook her head in amusement.

"Let's go find Aang."

The hall corridors were still and the candles that had surely been burning brightly earlier were dimmed. She hoped that she hadn't outright missed dinner. In such an establishment, that would indeed be considered rude.

Katara smiled to herself as she found that she remembered the exact route to take to get to the palace's dining quarters.

"You're late," she heard before she'd even turned the corner. Facing her was two of the Fire Lord's guards. They stood in front of the large, ornate doors to the dining hall. She furrowed her brows at the guards obvious statement.

"I'm aware. Could you open the doors for me, please?" stated Katara, eager to see her friends. They were most likely waiting for her.

"They are not to be disturbed after the doors are shut," said the guard who had spoken before. Katara looked up at him to see the look of disgust that was clearly present in his eyes. He still held onto the beliefs that floated around before the war about Water Tribe _peasants_. She was sure that he still worked at the palace because it was a well-paying job and that as long as he kept his mouth shut, the Fire Lord had no issues with him.

"If I am not admitted, I have no doubt that Fire Lord Zuko will fire you. Perhaps, literally. There is no sense in prejudice this day and time," were the calm words of the waterbending master.

She crossed her arms and rested all of her weight on one leg when the guard didn't even bat an eye. The guard standing next to him rolled his eyes but did not move to open the door either.

Seconds later Katara walked into the dining hall with a smile on her face. The table was lavish with food items. Spotting more fruit to dig into, Momo hopped off of her shoulder and had at it.

"I told the guard not to let anyo—Oh."

"Your guards now know what it's like to not be able to breath underwater, Fire Lord," Katara sighed settling herself down at the table beside him. She looked around the room for Aang and spotted him over in a corner with his head bowed. He was meditating.

"Do they now?" Zuko raised his only eyebrow.

In a nonchalant manner Katara waved her hand and started to bend tea into the cup that was in front of her.

"Yes. They said some silly thing about not opening the doors because you didn't wish to be disturbed. How absolutely ridiculous," Katara smiled up at him warmly. She couldn't get their time together at Kyoshi Island out of her head.

Kyoshi Island had been marked as the best place to build the asylum that now housed the excommunicated Princess Azula. Sokka had come up with this thought as a tactical plan because were Azula or any of the other patients to escape, they had nowhere to go. The amount of Kyoshi warriors had expanded and it was one of their divisions, along with Fire Nation guards that guarded the asylum.

Suki, as head of this militant force, stayed on the island and only left for business affairs or to check on her other divisions located around the world. Two years ago, Kyoshi Island happened to be Katara's next task which caused the inevitable reunion with the Fire Lord.

"I told them to let you in whenever you arrived. There are severe repercussions for ignoring my orders. They will be sent to guard The Boiling Rock," Zuko scoffed, clearly aggravated.

"Oh, calm down. How long has Aang been meditating?" questioned the waterbender in an attempt to change the subject. There was no need for him to get all riled up over something that she had already handled.

"Approximately thirty minutes. He has two hours and a half left."

Katara watched as Zuko bit into a pastry before he frowned in disgust. It was a rose pastry; his least favorite. She reached over and took the dessert from him. If he wouldn't delight in it, then she definitely would.

"Thief!" he exclaimed with a grin, his golden eyes bright. And so he _did_ remember the events of Kyoshi Island. Katara felt her heart swell.

"Why does he meditate?"

"He hopes to gain insight from the past avatars by learning their lifestyles. Although Aang has mastered the elements and achieved what he needed for his avatar personality…he still needs to figure out _his _path," Zuko explained, "He's learning how these past avatars went about their daily lives. So for several hours each day, he meditates. Once in the morning and once in the afternoon."

"I hope it's working. He's not as happy as he used to be." Katara found that to be pretty evident. Aang was happy but it was obvious that behind those grey eyes of his lay certain sadness. He knew his place in the world as Avatar but not as Aang, if what Zuko was telling her was true.

"I think it is. It was his idea to be Fire Lord while I'm away. I do believe that he's marking off his likes and dislikes to find what he's comfortable with. That's one of the best ways to go about this, I think."

Katara nodded taking her own bite from the rose pastry. She had no idea how Zuko couldn't like such a treat and she closed her eyes at the delicacy. The rich smooth flavors of the rose were too delicious to pass up. She finished the dessert and licked her fingers. Upon opening her eyes she saw Zuko's gold ones staring at her, cast in a frown.

She really didn't know how he felt for her and to do such a thing in front of him was just asking for trouble. Who knew that just a simple act of innocence could light such a fire in his heart? He loved the way that she enjoyed the simple things like she'd never have a go again.

It seemed to him that she wasn't going to mention the happenings of Kyoshi Island. He had even mocked the encounter, hoping to stir up a speech regarding it. She either didn't remember or she didn't want to remember. Well, he wasn't going to bring it up again.

The two were silent. Katara had taken to staring down into her cup while Zuko tapped his fingers idly on the table. The only distinct sounds were the sounds of satisfaction from Momo who was happily eating the sliced peaches that were in a bowl at the center of the dining table.

This was proving to be very awkward.

"Why can't we just leave tonight?" Katara finally asked. She didn't feel like lounging around the palace for seven days.

"I thought I already explained to you. I need to speak to the c—."

"Yeah, yeah. You need to clear up a few things with the council. Sorry. I'm just anxious to get this started. It's been a while since I've had a decent mission. Helping the many villages out is good and all, but…it's boring." As if to make a point of this, Katara lifted her arms above her head in a stretch and yawned.

Zuko smiled to himself and stood up. It was good that he was adamant about this week long period before starting their mission. She wouldn't admit it, but she really did need the rest. He had waited so long to locate his mother that a few more days wouldn't hurt.

"Are you done eating?"

Katara nodded and took the hand that the Fire Lord offered. She had eaten plenty before her nap. Together they walked out of the dining hall, leaving Momo with Aang. Zuko took a moment to give a particularly dirty look to the two guards that were present before silently leading Katara through the corridors and to the small pond in the gardens.

"It's still as beautiful as it was before," gasped an amazed Katara. She pulled her hand from his grasp and ran to the edge of the pond. The turtle-ducks swam gracefully around the pond, diving in and out of the clear blue water. Sights like these were hard to come by as she assisted the desolate cities that had been destroyed by Ozai's army.

"Yeah," breathed the Fire Lord looking directly at Katara, who had her back turned to him at the moment.

"How have you been, Zuko? How have you _really_ been?" Katara looked over her shoulder at the marred man whose eyes had become downcast at her words.

"Fine. I can't complain," was his short reply.

Katara sighed loudly and plopped down onto the grass, her arms outstretched behind her, holding her up. The years could not change the fact that there was an ever-present fortress surrounding his emotions. She looked back toward Zuko to see that his arms were crossed and his face was stoic.

"You should give me a bit more credit. I can tell that something's troubling you and it's not just regarding your mother."

Zuko stilled at the validity of her words. Katara was quite the perceptive being when people's feelings were involved.

"I'm not too sure that I know what I'm doing when it comes to being Fire Lord," he muttered, deciding upon the honest approach. Her hearing wasn't quite like Toph's but Katara still managed to hear what the once-banished man said.

"It's taken you six years to come upon that conclusion?" the woman smirked motioning her fingers to flick water at a few turtle-ducks.

"Oh, shut up. What I mean is…all I've ever known is war. The peace infestation baffles me. It is necessary, yes; I know… however, I don't know what to do to go about it."

Katara frowned at his doubts. She had wondered when the brooding prince side of him would show.

"Zuko, if you didn't know what you were doing, then there would only be unrest around the nations. There wouldn't be renewal and unity. Everything is fine at your hands. Perhaps, you're just like Aang in that aspect…," Katara trailed off.

"What do you mean?"

"You still need to find yourself."

"I thought that I did," came his mumbled words. Katara thought that he was speaking of the time when he'd momentarily lost his bending because the only drive that he'd had for firebending was anger at…_everything_. That anger had diminished after joining the Avatar's group which meant that he needed to find another pulling source. With the help of the remaining dragons, he did.

But no, he had made an extremely subtle reference to their time on the warrior island of Kyoshi; a reference of his feelings for her.

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Thank you kindly for the reviews. Please continue to leave words of encouragement.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"It still befuddles me that the world leaders agreed to have someone like you as the head of this task force!"

Sokka bashfully looked down at his boots before scowling. He had forgotten how well her 'sight' was. He looked every bit like a man should, his shoulders broad with his face hinting at the regrowth of facial hair. Apparently the ladies loved a man with five-o'clock shadow, nevermind that Suki was the only woman in his life. He couldn't help that he loved the attention.

"You forget that I'm the Southern Water Tribe's Chieftain," he began, his fists on his hips. It was true. His father, Hakoda, had decided to step down as chief and enjoy the life of peace that the Avatar had so graciously provided.

"Whatever. You call yourself a chief but you can't even walk in a straight line. Those rebels would probably try to sneak up on poor, little, old me and while you're _attempting _one of your so-called attacks on them, you'd trip!"

"Toph, that doesn't even make sense!" Sokka exclaimed waving his finger in front of her, forgetting like usual, that she could not see.

Toph Bei Fong leisurely slouched on her throne, her legs curled beneath her figure. She didn't keep her hair wrapped around her head as she did years ago, choosing instead to wear it up high in a loose pony-tail. She had grown to be a beautiful young woman, and many a suitor came through the Earth Kingdom hoping to have her hand. She sent them packing.

"Why not?"

"Because no one can sneak up on you!"

"That's besides the point, stupid. I can't have a task force leader who stumbles at every step," argued the master earthbender with a roll of her non-seeing green eyes.

"Well, we can't all have what we want. Now, what did you want me in here for?"

An air of seriousness took over causing Toph to sit up straight in the throne before reaching behind her. She pulled out a scroll with a red string tied around it to secure its contents. She reached out blindly and waited for Sokka to grab it.

"Who's it from?" asked the brown-skinned man.

"I cannot see, Sokka. How about you open it and tell me. I was told by Iroh that it was delivered by a messenger hawk from the Asylum specifically marked for you," Toph sighed.

Sokka winced at Toph's mention of the Asylum. It had taken a lot out of him to have that establishment built. Workers from all over the world had assisted in building it securely, day and night, so that Azula could not escape. And now, his Suki was guarding the place.

He hesitantly pulled the string hoping that the Kyoshi warriors were just fine and read the scroll. The writing was hurried and messy which made it a difficult read. Finally, he scrunched his nose at the signature located at the bottom.

"Your heartbeat tells me that something's wrong. What is it?" questioned the ever-knowing earthbending master.

"It's from Azula. She demands a meeting with me regarding information that her brother may want to know."

"Why didn't she just message him?" Toph leaned forward and rested her face in her hands, her bare feet firmly planted on the ground.

"She knows that he won't allow any of her messages to be delivered to the palace which makes total sense to me. It's quite obvious that she's no better than she was when she was admitted. Shall I send a message to the Fire Lord?"

Though Toph was younger than he and a good friend, Sokka answered to her while his task force was in her command. He was a part of her army for the time being.

"That would be best. He knows how to work around those loose screws of hers."

It took an earthbending mail courier five days to deliver the message to the Fire Lord due to Toph's trust issues with messenger hawks. When Zuko read Sokka's short message, he wasn't thrilled.

"You don't look too happy this morning, Fire Lord," came the soft tone of Katara's voice. Zuko looked up at the waterbender, his frown quite evident.

He was sitting in the center of his throne room with his arms crossed, his body stiff in that disgruntled way of his.

"I've received word that my sister claims to have information that I require...no doubt that she's referring to our mother."

Katara didn't bother to hide the look of shock upon her face.

"Are you going to speak to her?"

She knew how difficult it was for him to speak of his immoral family members. She knew it was tough for him because no matter how horrible his father and sister were, he couldn't help but love them though he would not admit it to anyone. But...she knew.

"I don't believe her, Katara. I think it's just another one of her mind games," Zuko sighed.

"How can you be sure though?"

"I think I know my sister!" was the snappish reply. Katara frowned before turning towards the doors.

"I'll be having breakfast. Please join me when you've realized that I'm just trying to help, which you asked me to do, might I add."

Zuko sighed audibly and blew steam from his nose before mentally kicking himself. Azula was a psychopathic mastermind even in her fractured mental state and she still managed to get into his head from her place in the Asylum. She'd had quite a few years to come up with something to get under his skin.

Yet, it was still no reason to snap at the woman that he cared for. The Fire Lord stood up from his throne and began the short walk to the dining quarters, one memory of Kyoshi Island replaying in his head.

He had appointed new guards at the dining room doors after Katara had nearly drowned the previous two. The Fire Lord smirked as he remembered the nonchalant attitude that the waterbender had presented over the entire situation.

The guards bowed before opening the doors. Katara was sitting across from Aang who had recently finished his morning meditation ritual. Zuko took his place beside her with a nod towards the Avatar.

"Good morning, Zuko. How're you?" questioned the airbender with a small smile.

"I've been better. Katara, I'd like to apologize for my attitude earlier. It was very disrespectful of me."

"Forgiven, Fire Lord. I know that I'll get you back during one of our future spars." Katara smiled up at Zuko in reassurance and noticed a new smirk on his face.

"If yesterday's spar was anything to go by...I doubt you'll be getting me back anytime soon, Master Katara."

Aang watched as the two went back and forth over breakfast, his grin still on his face. Friendship truly did make him happy.

Xxxxx

"You've gotten pretty strong, Fire Lord," breathed Katara from her defensive wall of ice in the palace's outside arena.

After breakfast the two had decided on a sparring match in order to further prepare Katara for any potential threat that could arise since she hadn't seen battle for some time. Sure, there were occurrences that required the use of a water whip or two while she assisted those needy provinces but nothing too big of an issue.

They had practiced the day prior which had resulted in a few hard blows to Katara but she just healed her injuries and kept on. She was a determined woman.

"Stop talking and fight, peasant," smirked the scarred man as he brought up his hands, on the offensive. Katara readied herself with a puddle of water at her feet before she let the wall melt. In an instant, Zuko was three feet in front of her ready to fire but he missed due to her dodge.

The waterbender had propelled herself upward with the puddle and the slush from the wall in order to flip over the Fire Lord. It only took a split second for her to kick through his legs causing him to fall back. All of the water from her attack dropped onto his shocked form.

Zuko grinned in amazement at the waterbender's mastery of her craft. It hadn't taken her long at all to get back into the pull of battle. Katara leaned down to offer her hand which Zuko gladly accepted.

The two sparring partners bowed to each other to formally signify the end of their match.

"I told you that I'd get you back," boasted the tired woman with a grin.

"So you did," chuckled Zuko, "We should be ready to leave tomorrow afternoon."

Katara looked over at the drenched man's face and her own lit up. This was what she had been waiting for. And he had delivered. Her grin widened at the tilt of his crown on his forehead and she was extremely tempted to right it but she kept her twitching fingers at her sides.

"I'll have to write Sokka to alert him of my whereabouts every time that we reach a new location."

"He's still _that_ protective over you?"

"Unfortunately, but I suppose that's what older brothers are for. He doesn't even know that I'm here so imagine his surprise when he discovers I'm out searching for your mother with you. He may send his Sword Squad to look after us, though we're fully capable of taking care of ourselves."

Katara's thoughts turned to her loving brother. Sokka had convinced Suki to allow a sword division as a sect of the Kyoshi warriors. She remembered him mentioning that it made him feel like he was doing something special although he'd pretty much come up with most of the world's rebuilding plans on his own.

"I wouldn't put it past him. I must go finish briefing the Avatar on what's to be done whilst we're gone but that shouldn't take long. I'll see you at dinner. Please don't drown my guards," smirked Zuko with a wave of his hand. Katara lovingly watched as he sloshed his way into the palace.

Even after he'd been away for more than a few minutes, she continued to look in the direction he'd left in. And she became upset. Perhaps he didn't remember their fun on the island after all when it was so vivid in her mind. She remembered everything, especially the way that they had held one another on the beach.

She remembered.

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Thank you all for the lovely reviews. :] Please continue to leave more.

The events of Kyoshi Island may actually be exposed in the next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

(Past: Two years ago)

"Her bending's gone."

Zuko looked up to see Katara of the Southern Water Tribe standing in front of him with her hands clasped. He was seated atop a rock approximately fifty feet from the shore.

"I'm aware," came his cold words. He had personally assisted his guard in bringing his sister to the Asylum to be committed. It had been agreed by the world's leaders, Zuko included, that it would be best for Azula's firebending to be taken away. This wasn't easy especially since the islanders were celebrating the fact that he had just condemned his sister to a life of no bending.

"I understand that you're upset but you shouldn't take it out on anyone. Have you eaten dinner?" questioned the woman in a calm voice. It had been two suns since he'd last seen his sister's sullen shell in the Asylum and he'd be returning to the Fire Nation in a week's time. He needed to be well-rested and have his thoughts clear.

"I tried to-."

"Unacceptable Zuko. You should eat something," interrupted the water-bender as she reached into her bag at her side. She pulled out a small bundle of cloth and opened it. Inside was a small assortment of sweet cakes. She picked one up and held it out towards his lowered face.

For nearly a minute, the Fire Lord stared at the pastry, his golden eyes lit in confusion and honest appreciation. Yet, he didn't reach for the food. Taking this as a rejection, Katara started to pull her hand away to repackage the dessert but she was stopped.

Zuko had grabbed onto her wrist. Time was still for them both. Narrow golden eyes met large blue ones in a moment of realization. He pulled her hand closer and took a bite from the pastry that she still held in her hand.

"You _can_ just take it out of my hand," Katara softly remarked with a small smile. The Fire Lord frowned before taking said pastry from her hand and standing. He tossed it into the air and quickly incinerated the food item.

"Thief. Why did you do that?"

"I hate rose pastries."

"Well, you could have let me finish it," huffed Katara stuffing her parcel back into her bag.

"Come sit with me." Zuko gestured toward the beach. It was rare that anyone enjoyed these simple sights anymore. Moonlight cast across the water and sand, creating an ephemeral atmosphere.

Katara took the forlorn man's offered hand and allowed him to lead her to the shore. Looking down due to her own personal awkwardness, she noticed that he was shoeless. She shook her head slightly at the randomness of her observation.

As they got closer to the shore, Katara breathed in deeply to calm her nervous thoughts. She had always thought that Zuko was an attractive man, even with his scar, and personally being this close to him made her uneasy and unsure of how to act.

The ocean was still and the area calm save for the barely audible sounds of celebration coming from the town. Katara glanced up at the Fire Lord's face to see the look of pensiveness that he had often had during the time of war.

It slightly alarmed her.

"Is everything okay?" she questioned before she could stop herself. Of course everything wasn't okay.

Zuko released her hand and plopped down on the sandy shore, his feet getting sloshed by the ocean because of his close proximity to the body of water.

"Yes," was his curt reply.

Katara sat down beside the man and stared at his profile— the unmarred side of his face, all nervous thoughts quickly abandoned. His fire crown wasn't atop his head as per usual which was odd in itself.

"Frankly, I don't believe you."

"Of course you don't. Why did you come to me when everyone's out having fun?"

"I was on my way to celebrate but I didn't see you anywhere. I figured that it would be better to hang out with you versus that horrible celebration. Aang's not even there. He tended to business and left for Omashu immediately after. His old friend needed something done. King Bumi has no patience," grinned the water-tribe woman.

Zuko's amber colored eyes glanced over at Katara. A small smile appeared on his face at her attempt to make him cheerful. He had always enjoyed her company even when she hated him so long ago.

"Katara, you don't have to skip the celebration just because I'm not there."

"Who said anything about me skipping the celebration?"

With that being said, Katara reached into her bag and brought out a bottle of refined cactus juice. Sokka had refused to ever touch the stuff again after his incident in the desert a while back but this beverage was filtered so that the bad elements that caused hallucinations were no longer in it.

"Sometimes, I just don't give you enough credit," smiled the once-banished prince as he watched the beautiful woman uncork the bottle and take a swig. It was a smooth, sweet liquid that reminded her of moon peaches. She passed it to him where he followed suit.

"Right you are. Where is your fire crown?"

"It's in my room up at the inn. I didn't feel much like being Fire Lord tonight." With that, Zuko took another gulp of the fruity beverage.

"Oh," was Katara's short reply. She looked away from him and stared across the water, noting how Yue's beautiful moon reflected off of its surface. She closed her eyes to revel in the beauty of her surroundings.

This was nice and calming. A soft breeze blew over them, causing Katara's loose, wavy hair to whip softly towards the brooding man, tickling his exposed forearm.

Zuko smiled to himself as her hair danced upon his arm and he looked over at her. Her eyes were closed and a small smile played on her lips. She was a serene being and looking at her allowed him a sense of peace.

He pushed the bottle to his lips again for another drag of the sweet drink before nudging Katara with the bottle.

He nearly gasped when she opened her large blue eyes, the moon's reflection making their beauty even more apparent. She took a deep drink, her eyes still on his narrow golden ones, before corking the bottle. She sat it down in the sand beside her.

They could both feel the light-headed effects of the cactus juice start to cloud their minds.

"Do you want to dance?" Katara suddenly asked, a giant smile spreading across her face. Zuko smiled at the rosy glow of her cheeks under the moonlight.

"As strange as your request is...I'd be happy to oblige."

The next few seconds found the two awkwardly swaying along the shoreline with Katara's arms looped around the Fire Lord's neck.

"This is one of the strangest things that I've ever done,"whispered Zuko, thoughts of his family far from his mind.

"Why's that?" Katara responded.

"You don't find it odd that we are dancing to no music?"

The blue eyed woman smiled at Zuko's silliness.

"Fire Lord, there is music all around us," Katara remarked, "Close your eyes."

When Zuko did not comply, she reached her hand up to his face and sweeped her hands lightly over his long eyelashes before closing her own eyes.

"Do you hear the happy winds as they sing and whistle through the trees? How about the soft but demanding tempo of the water as it sloshes and hits the rock? What about that lonesome fish that leaps out of the water only to drop back down as if someone has lightly tapped onto a drum? That is music...Zuko."

Unbeknownst to the master waterbender, Zuko had opened his eyes to watch her face as she described the music of the land. She was a wonderful sight, there in front of him, her dark hair blowing in and out of her heart-shaped face. He wanted to hold her in his arms, like so, for the rest of his life.

His gaze roamed over her face until they rested on her lips that were lightly glazed with a pale red color, most likely for the celebration. It was like they called for him and without thinking, the fire lord's head quickly descended.

His lips met hers softly in a short kiss before he realized what he had done.

"I'm sorry! That was disrespectful of me," Zuko hurriedly exclaimed to Katara's shocked facial features. A slow smile crept across the woman's face at the man's apology.

"It's okay," was her response. And it was.

(End Past Sequence)

* * *

"This is early... even for you, Zuko," Aang grinned at the Fire Lord's interruption of his early morning breakfast.

"I wanted to speak to you prior to meditation since I'm going to be busy finishing off the preparations for you to take over whilst I'm on leave. Katara and I will be leaving before dinner," spoke the firebender, his voice still gruff from sleep. Upon rising even earlier than the sun, Zuko had managed to catch the Avatar at nearly five o'clock in the morning.

"Understandable. What did you need?" questioned the airbender. Aang calmly reached across his small table and poured himself a cup of herbal tea. They were seated in Aang's personal garden that was located on the other side of the palace directly adjacent to Zuko's.

Aang normally woke very early in the day for his meditation ritual so he usually had his breakfast alone. To stay well-rested, he went to sleep prior to lunchtime.

"I think...I believe that there may be an issue with the fact that it's just going to be me and Katara traveling...alone," Zuko spoke slowly.

He knew what he wanted to speak to the younger man about yet, it was difficult to bring out the words properly.

"What issue?"

"Shall I reiterate..._alone_?" spoke the fire lord cynically with a raise of his only brow.

"I'm not too sure that I understand."

"I shouldn't have to spell it out for you! I know that you remember Suki's heckling when we revisited Kyoshi Island a year ago." Zuko was referring to a trip that he and Aang had made to the Island in order to make sure that the Kyoshi warriors and Sokka's Sword Squad were well taken care of when it came to barracks and provisions.

Zuko immediately looked down in shame. His short temper always caused him trouble. It didn't help that he was eager to get started on the search for his mother which made him a bit more on edge than usual.

He glanced up, ready to apologize and noticed the look of comprehension suddenly dawning on the Avatar's long face.

"I thought that Suki was just kidding about their being lipstick on your lips during Azula's no-more-firebending celebration. Did you steal it from Katara? Are you here to make a _confession_ to me, Zuko?"

Zuko could only stare at Aang in complete bewilderment yet he knew that the last airbender was completely serious with his question.

"You are completely daft. The lipstick _was_ Katara's...but we-", Zuko was cut off. Aang's eyes had a particularly curious shine to them as he tried to control his laughter from his mistake.

"Wait? All of Suki's suggestive comments weren't just made to _you_. She was joking Katara too. Did she mean that...that you and Katara...that...," Aang momentarily resembled a fish, "You _kissed_ her?"

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It's one of my favorites because everything is pretty much set in motion from here.

**Thank you** for the wonderful reviews. **Please **continue. I apologize for any mistakes you may encounter in this chapter. I will go back through and edit later today.

I find it disturbing when I'm reading a story and the flashbacks are in italics. I understand the point of the italics, however, they make it difficult for me to WANT to read the selection because the words just run together annoyingly..so I often find myself skimming them...hence why, this Kyoshi Island flashback is not in italics.

That's not all that happened on the island by the way.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Aang...it wasn't just that. I think that I'm in love with the woman," Zuko admitted, his eyes downcast. He wondered if the Avatar even felt the slightest bit awkward from this conversation. The Fire Lord was confessing his true feelings for the Avatar's old crush.

"No...no, you're not," Aang spoke slowly. Zuko's face contorted into a sneer of disbelief.

"How could _you_ know?" He exclaimed.

"I'm kidding. Sheesh. Zuko, it's quite obvious how you feel for Katara. Everyone knows!"

Zuko raised his only eyebrow high at the Avatar's wide grin that followed his words. He sighed at the mocking tactics of the younger man.

"Look, Zuko, I have known how you have felt for her since you both went on the search for her mother's murderer. I possibly even knew it before then. Regrettably, at the time, my mind was so clouded with thoughts of asinine puppy love that I didn't care how true your own feelings were," spoke the airbender with wisdom coating his every word.

Zuko stood from his place at the small table and bowed slightly at his friend.

"I thank you for your words yet I'm still not quite sure how to go about this journey."

"You shouldn't mull about it, friend. I have a feeling that everything will work out just fine. Trust me."

"You say that, but what makes you think that things will be okay?"

"I'm the Avatar."

* * *

Katara bowed to Zuko's maid who had lain out dark red and brown traveling garments for her to wear. According to the Fire Lord, they'd be heading to the Hidden Temple of the White Lotus first because that is the last place that his uncle had seen his mother.

She dressed quickly, her eagerness for the journey surprising even her. The clothing she wore reminded her of the thrown together outfit she wore when she aided the water village as the Painted Lady long ago but more refined. The waterbender ran a hand through her short hair, happy that she didn't have to worry about spending time fixing it up.

She grabbed her traveling bag and hurried off to find the man. She smiled to herself as she walked through the corridors upon realizing that she'd be alone with him for however long. He'd have to bring up Kyoshi Island at some point.

She had already eaten dinner and she had been sure to bid farewell to Aang and Momo earlier in the day. Katara sat down on one of the large steps leading up the palace's doors as she waited for Zuko to arrive.

He was there just a minute later.

"I have set all of my affairs into order," he spoke gruffily, his dream of what happened on the island clear in his mind's eye, "Are you ready?"

"Yes. How are we getting there?"

"We'll be on foot until we reach the temple just in case someone tries to follow us. Hopefully we don't get lost. The map we have isn't exactly...great."

Katara quirked an eyebrow as Zuko pulled out a crudely drawn map for her to see. He wasn't kidding.

"Well...it is a _hidden _temple," she smirked with a shake of her head. She saw that he held a bag on one shoulder and his two swords were criss-crossed on his back.

"Right. I had my servants pack a few non-perishable items for us but we'll have to be frugal...we don't really know how long we'll be away. Rest assured, there are no rose pastries."

Katara smiled a wide smile as he joked her love of what he detested.

He loved her smile. He gestured for her to follow as he began to walk around the palace towards the most shaded part of the building thanks to a large tree. Zuko reached toward her and pulled her hood over her head before doing the same with his own.

Katara paused her movements as a sudden realization occurred to her. She had been so eager to get this journey afoot that she hadn't noticed her selfishness. Not once had she thought about what this would mean for Zuko.

Yes, she knew that it was imperative to get closure for his mother's exile but she also knew what feelings were required for such a thing. Her own mother was with Yue and there was no changing that but if there was even the sliver of a chance that Lady Ursa was still alive, Zuko would hold on to it; just as he had for the past many years.

And she would hold him if they came to find out that Lady Ursa had long past. She would hold him and love him.

"Hey, peasant," she felt rather than heard by way of warm breath that tickled her left ear.

"Yeah?" she breathed as a nervous response.

"Are you okay to travel?" Zuko questioned mockingly. Katara then noticed that he held onto one of the thick vines that had crawled, over the years, from the magnificent tree that was their cover and over the stone wall of the palace.

She grabbed onto the vine he held and with agile reflexes she climbed. It was an even darker night on the street side of the palace. She jumped down onto the cobbled ground and noticed that during her brief train of thought earlier Zuko had thrown their bags over the wall.

Mere seconds later Zuko joined her.

"How long shall it be before we arrive?"

"I'm not entirely sure. Maybe two days. It is near Sokka's sword master's estate."

They walked for an hour before reaching the edge of the forest.

"Be very wary of rebels in this forest. My army has been disbanding some of the resistance's groups lately," whispered the Fire Lord as they stepped through a pile of leaves, the crunching sounds like music to the waterbender's ears.

He had a faster stride than she, so during their walk, she mainly stared at his back. She adored his broad shoulders and she longed to run her hands down his arms.

Zuko turned his neck to see how far the woman was from him and grinned. His maids had done exactly what he'd asked by making her an outfit that reminded him of the statue he'd seen of her as the Painted Lady.

"Tell me about your time as the Painted Lady," Zuko spoke. They couldn't just walk through the forest without speaking. His thoughts alone would drive him crazy.

His words broke Katara free of her thoughts and she glanced up to see him looking back at her.

"What do you wish to know?"

"What made you want to help that Fire Nation village back then?" he questioned as he slowed his pace to walk alongside her.

"Zuko, by that time I had discovered that people are...people. It didn't matter to me that those people were of the Fire Nation. It only mattered that they needed help and I could give it to them. I heard the legend of the Painted lady during our stay there and so..I decided to wear her image."

* * *

(Past: Two Years Ago)

"I should walk you back to the inn," whispered the embarassed Fire Lord.

The two made their way across the sand and began to trek through the empty streets to get to the inn. It was easy to be unseen by the townspeople due to the celebration being held in the center of the village. At the moment, neither of them wanted to be bothered.

Their walk was silent but they were both too content with each other's presence that they didn't mind.

"Zuko...we're both...drunk," Katara giggled as they walked inside of the inn. She sat down on the bottom-most step of the beautiful winding staircase. She was quite tired from the day's events. Looking up at the fire lord, she could tell that he was feeling the same way.

"It's a good feeling," he grinned grabbing onto her wrist to pull her up.

"I'm too exhausted to even think about climbing those stairs." Katara sagged against Zuko's upright form. Years of being a royal made it so that he had good posture in whatever state he was in.

"Well, I'm not leaving you down here alone. Where is your room at?" Zuko scooped the woman up into his strong arms and Katara knew right then, that she'd never forget the way that her heart swelled at this man's touch.

Katara directed him as he climbed the staircase and walked down the corridor. He stopped when he reached her door.

"You can put me down now," Katara whispered into his ear. Zuko stilled at the warmth of her breath before setting her down gently. And suddenly she wasn't so tired anymore.

They stood there, his golden eyes meeting her blue ones in a dance that could rival the dragons'. And with a quickness, Katara reached up and pulled his face towards hers. Her kiss was so demanding that to steady himself, he reached a hand out to press against the door. His other arm wrapped around her waist.

Her hands were buried in his hair, holding him to her as her kiss became more needy. With the intensity of her kissing him and his own responding kisses, Zuko ended up pushing Katara flush against the door. Zuko opened his eyes and pulled back breaking away from the kiss.

Katara opened her large blue eyes and peered up into his. For a moment Zuko wondered _who_ the firebender really was due to the passion that burned in her gaze...for him.

Zuko pulled the woman close crushing her against his chest, his face buried in the crutch of her neck. He inhaled her sweet scent as he caught his breath.

"I've enjoyed my evening with you," Katara whispered, her eyes tearing up because this night would soon be forgotten for them both thanks to the inevitable return of daily life.

"Likewise. Thank you for choosing to come hang out with me rather than the celebration."

The fire lord found that he didn't want to let her go. He didn't want to go back to his political duties without her by his side. He didn't wish to make another _step_ without her there.

He pulled back away from her and turned his head, refusing to allow her to see the look in his eyes as he realized… that he loved her.

(End Past Sequence)

* * *

Katara sat down at the edge of the fire that she and Zuko had just built. Though they were in the Fire Nation the night air still held a chilling bite to it. She pulled her cloak tighter around her as a chilling wind breezed by.

Silently, she cursed firebenders for their naturally high body temperatures. Yes, she should have been used to the cold because of her snowy village in the South Pole but it had been a few years since she'd been back there.

They had decided to stop walking for the night because neither could get over the grumblings of their stomachs nor did they wish to walk into a tree. There was only but so long that the fire lord could keep a flame alight without becoming tired.

She jumped slightly thanks to Zuko plopping down on the hard ground beside her his legs criss-crossed. Having been around this man for so long, if only several days, was making her less alert of her surroundings.

She looked over as he started rustling through his rucksack of food items. She loved the way his dark hair fell across his forehead.

"I have smoked sea-slug and canned moon peaches that should last us for a while," Zuko stated pulling the said items out of his bag. When he didn't receive a response he glanced over at the waterbender.

She was staring at him in the most peculiar way.

"Katara," he spoke waving his hand in front of her beautiful face.

"Yeah, sorry. What did you say?" Katara mentally slapped herself for losing focus.

Zuko shook his head with a light chuckle and handed her a small jar of moon peaches and a package of sea-slug.

They consumed their light meal quietly as the fire crackled and sparked. When they finished eating, they both just sat and stared into the calming fire until Zuko spoke up.

"I admire you, you know..."

Katara blinked curiously and he noticed her shock.

"I would have never thought to help those people, especially back then," he spoke referring once again to the water village.

"I find that unlikely. Even though you were misguided, Zuko, you still had a good head on your shoulders. If someone was in danger, you assisted. I heard about that little boy's family that you helped; the one that you'd given the dagger to."

"That was an oddity for me," he frowned as he looked down at his boot where the dagger was attached.

"Oh stop being so sullen. You're fine, ruling with a fist of iron and a palm of peace. Me on the other hand...I don't know what the hell I'm doing," as she spoke, Katara noticed the truth of her statement. She really did not know. She was a strong person, in body and mind but she was helping these colonies out for so long that she just did not know if it was something that she enjoyed.

It was rewarding seeing the smiles on these people's faces and that's the only reason she was still putting forth the time, energy and effort.

"You're helping people. That's definitely something."

Zuko watched as the woman bowed her head slightly and pulled her slouching cloak tighter around her neck.

"I need to help myself too," she said sadly stunning herself. Zuko stared at her for a good thirty seconds before holding his arms out and outstretching his legs.

"Come on."

As they were only seated three inches apart, Katara scooted closer and positioned herself between his legs, her back against his chest.

"It seems that we are all having issues. This must mean that your brother is doing fairly well," smirked the fire lord as his arms wrapped around her, warming her.

Katara laughed softly causing Zuko's smirk to become a small smile. He would enjoy this feeling while he could; the feeling of this beautiful waterbender's laughter reverberating within his own body.

* * *

Enjoy. I know I did.

THANKS for all of the feedback. I'd love to get more, please.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

He sat across from the woman, his back straight due to tension. She looked horrible; her hair was wild, yet it hung limp around her face. Her complexion was pale, nearly translucent and she slouched in her own seat.

The warrior frowned as he took in the cold-looking metal chains that kept her from lashing out. He started to wonder if what they had done to her was barbaric. No...she deserved this treatment.

"You asked me to visit," he finally spoke up.

Slowly the woman lifted her head, her eyes nearly lifeless, and stared at the Water Tribe man. Sokka wasn't surprised that though she'd been locked up for so long, her face still held its beauty.

"I did. Where's your pretty little girlfriend?" Azula said softly.

"I'm sure that Suki has nothing to do with why you called me here. What do you want with me?" Azula was well-known for her mind games and he would not be easily thwarted from the task at hand.

"You're wrong. Where is my brother? No doubt, ruining the good of our nation."

Sokka stared at the woman and studied the look in her maniacal gaze. Something was different.

"I'll tell you when you tell me where your mother is."

At once Azula's demeanor changed. Her distraught posture was lost as she straightened her back. Her face was overtaken by a deep frown and it became even paler. From years of observation, he had learned that this was her defense stance.

"I don't know where she is. She didn't just leave him. She left me too."

"Then why did you call me here?" He was becoming frustrated.

"I enjoy talking to you."

Sokka stood up to take his leave.

"No...wait. I have news."

The tactician sighed before sitting back down. It was very difficult to gauge the truth from Azula's words so he would listen. Though she could do so in an extremely believable way, lying was not her forte. She preferred to play games until she had built up enough mental strain on an individual that she could act on her blunt approach.

Yet...she was doing neither at the particular moment.

"Go on," he spoke coldly.

"I hear things here-".

Sokka snorted before commenting, "Annnd?"

Azula ignored him and continued where she left off.

"They think that we're all just crazy but we're not. They like to say things here because they think that we can't comprehend. They're not vague about it at all."

Sokka studied her face once more and tried to determine whether she was playing another game or not. He decided that she wasn't. There was just something about the Fire Nation's exiled princess that seemed...tired.

"Get to the point."

Over the years, the water tribe warrior had grown in tact, precision, and smarts but he still had no patience.

"_They _are plotting to overthrow the Fire Nation because they feel that my brother will do more harm than good."

"Who are _they_?" questioned the brown-haired man, truly surprised that any of the Asylum's patients would even think to attempt to ruin the peace of the new world.

"The Kyoshi Warriors," Azula shrugged.

Sokka's eyes narrowed instantly as his mind began to form sentences of defense for his girlfriend and her mob of fighters.

"That's not true. I can't believe that you had me come here for this nonsense," Sokka exclaimed slamming his fist on the table.

"I wouldn't lie when I have nothing to gain. I care not about the 'good of the world' however, if someone's going to be in a powerful position, I'd rather it be my brother than anyone else."

Sokka closed his eyes and calmed his breathing. She was right about having nothing to gain, yet, how could the love of his life be plotting such a thing. It was impossible.

He quickly looked over his shoulder at the Kyoshi warrior who was standing guard outside of the doorway. Her posture was stiff and her head was inclined towards them, informing Sokka that she was listening to every word that was being said...but why?

As soon as possible this new occurrence would be investigated.

He stood up and walked over to Azula before leaning down.

"I will look into it," he whispered into her ear.

* * *

"Haru, I need you to get together the most trustworthy of the Sword Squad immediately and bring them to me," Toph instructed. Sokka had just informed her of Azula's words and she had decided that it was worth the investigation.

The throne room was empty aside from Sokka, Haru, and Toph. It would be safe to say that the Master earthbender had trust issues. She knew that there were no listening ears on the throne room thanks to her skills and she wanted to keep it that way.

Haru bowed in compliance as he was Sokka's General. Haru had created his own sword from earthbending and worked hard to up the ranks in the squad before he'd finally reached the position of General.

When Haru had left the throne room, Toph turned her head towards Sokka who was looking down in contemplation.

"Is this particular operation too personal for you?"

Sokka stiffened before shaking his head, "No. If any of this is true, and that's a big _if_, then I don't want to jeopardize the fact that I'm close to the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors."

Toph nodded and stood up from her relaxed position on her throne.

"Right. If at any time, this becomes too much for you, I want you to let me know immediately. As for now, go about your business with her as you normally would. Do not let her get the notion that we may suspect her."

She began to pace, her fingers twitching at the thought of a possible rebellion nearing. It would be fun to fight after so long. She enjoyed her powerful position as the Earth Kingdom's Lady, however, it was boring.

"Have you sent notice to Zuko yet?"

"Sokka, you JUST told me about this," Toph stated, annoyed at the man's slow behavior.

"Right. Should I report to him?"

"No. I don't want to alert him as this may just be some mental ploy of Azula's to get at him. He's so hotheaded that he may lead an attack and if it _is _true—what Azula said, then I don't want the Kyoshi Warriors to know that we know. Plus, his own army doesn't totally agree with him being Fire Lord and this may cause an even bigger uprising against him. Understood?"

"Yeah, I get it." And he did. If Suki and her team were planning a rebellion, then they would need to be stopped. Personal relationships were not priority yet something else had been bothering him.

"Toph, what did you mean when you asked Haru to bring back the most 'trustworthy' of my squad?"

"Sokka, your Sword Squad is a sect of the Kyoshi Warriors. Do not think that some of those guys aren't in on the plan, if there is one. I need to evaluate the squad members that he brings to me to make sure that they're worthy of this mission. They will be spies amongst their comrades."

"I'm just hoping that the warriors aren't working with the rebellion groups that have been attacking us," muttered the tactitian, to himself.

"We have to assume that they are. Where was your sister at the last time that you spoke with her?"

"Helping some village off the coast of one of the Fire Nation islands. I'm sure that she's moved on by now. Why do you ask?"

"We may need her help. Contact Twinkle-toes to see what he's up to and if he's been in contact with her.. We may just need his peace-keeping attributes as much as I'd like to barf," scoffed Toph.

"I'll go message him now." Sokka turned on his heel to leave but was halted by Toph's next words.

"No, after I evaluate your squad members, you will be taking them on this quick mission with you to speak with Aang in person. This will be a test for your squad's loyalty. Just be aware that he is in the Fire Nation and ears are everywhere. After you say your piece, get back here as soon as possible. Make sure that you speak to him only. I don't want Zuko in on this, just yet."

* * *

"One would think that I'd be used to this by now," grumbled Katara as she slapped at a mosquito-beetle that attempted to bite her.

Zuko smirked. All he had to do was raise his body temperature a few notches to keep the parasites away. He reached out to grab the woman's hand in order to aid her in keeping the pests away.

"Finally, you offer me help," she continued to complain even as she felt the heat of his touch.

"If only to shut you up," remarked the Fire Lord innocently. Katara narrowed her eyes at the smile in his voice and squeezed his hand tightly. She knew that he was joking around.

"Ha ha. We've been walking since before dawn. Shouldn't we be there by now?"

"I told you that it'd take us about two days. It's only been one day and a half, Katara. Be patient. We don't have much further to go. Besides, once we arrive there, we'll have more traveling to do, afterwards." Zuko grimaced as he recalled the initial reason for this journey.

"What do you think that you'll do when you find her?" questioned Katara, obvious curiosity apparent in her wide blue eyes.

"I haven't thought that far ahead, honestly. Right now though, I feel that I'm going to yell a lot."

Katara lifted her eyebrows.

"Why would you do that?"

"She left me," Zuko said in a low voice which indicated to Katara that this short conversation was over.

They continued to walk through the overgrown greenery, hand in hand before Zuko shoved Katara into a bush.

"Hey-!" Katara exclaimed. She pushed herself off of the bramble and leaves, scratches adorning her arms and face.

Zuko was looking at her with a grimace. Katara stomped over him in apparent anger, "Why the hell did you do that?"

"To save your life?"

"What are you talking about? How do you save someone's life by pushing them into bushes, idiot!" Katara exclaimed with her index finger pointing accusingly at the man.

"You see that arrow in the tree, right there? You were nearly hit." Zuko winced slightly which caused Katara to lift her eyebrow in confusion.

"Rebels. There are three," the Fire Lord bit out as he leaned against a tree, "They've been circling us since this morning. I didn't know that they were archers."

"And you didn't think it wise to let me know," Katara snarled uncapping her waterskin just in case the archers attempted to close in.

"I didn't want to scare you."

Katara scoffed, "I'm rarely scared these days, idiot! Well, at least until something stupid like this occurs. Where are they?"

"I'm not Toph. I can't sense them. Can we argue after I get the damn arrow out of my shoulder."

Katara gasped loudly and brought her hands up to her mouth in surprise. She hadn't even realized that he'd been hit.

"Katara, this isn't a game. I won't be able to firebend. They're trying to kill us," Zuko said reaching up to his injured arm with his other hand. He quickly snapped the end of the arrow, leaving the head of it in. It didn't seem as it was poisoned, yet he pain was so intense that he sat down at the base of the tree to gain his senses.

The waterbender kneeled beside him, prepared to heal when a voice came from the woods.

"Wrong! We're trying to kill _you_, Fire Lord. We'd like the girl for a bargaining chip...and for fun."

Katara looked to her right to see a burly looking man dressed in greens and blacks. He had a scruffy beard on his face and it seemed as if he hadn't bathed for days.

"You're obviously not very smart," Katara responded. Apparently, these rebels thought that she was just some ordinary girl.

"Oh, I'd say that we are. We've been tracking you all morning." As this man spoke, the other two came

from behind their cover of trees and brush. From the looks of things, all three were archers.

Katara smirked.

"Kill him but only wound the girl," the burly man commanded. His inferiors raised their bows and aimed. One of them aimed at Katara's right leg, while the other directed his shot at Zuko's heart.

Katara stood up quickly and her thoughts went to the pulses of each archer. She could feel that the archer who aimed at her was going to release the projectile first so she acted as soon as he pulled his arm back.

Her water-whip zoomed out of the water skin faster than the arrow and pulled the archers leg from beneath him while at the same time, the woman spun around to avoid being impaled. The man that she'd attacked had fallen so hard that he'd been knocked unconscious.

She glanced over at Zuko to see that his good eye was half-lidded. He needed to be healed.

"A waterbender? You didn't say anything about a waterbender!" the other archer exclaimed at the bigger man while lowering his weapon.

From his exclamation, Katara realized that this man had dark brown hair and that his skin was a bit darker than hers. He was clearly of the Water Tribes.

"What difference does it make, Sota? Kill the bitch, we don't need her to bargain with, afterall. The Fire Nation doesn't need her."

"She's Water Tribe. I won't," Sota spoke turning his back. He began to walk away from them all.

"Sota! How dare you turn your back on me?" The burly man lifted his own bow and arrow and aimed at his own man.

Katara, curious of the exchange, released the water that she commanded around the burly man and clenched her fist, freezing it.

"Keep walking, boy, and you'll live," she called out, when Sota had stopped his retreat. He heeded her word.

Katara ran back over to Zuko's slumped figure.

"Zuko, are you okay?"

* * *

And so a conspiracy is afoot. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Half of it's been written for quite a while but I just couldn't get the rest out until recently. I'm still not sure if I'm totally satisfied with it.

Please review. Tell me your thoughts.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Does it look like I'm okay?" Zuko managed to grunt out from his position at the base of the tree he leaned against.

"No use being snippy with me," bit out Katara in response. She glanced over at the unconscious rebel and then she turned her gaze to his frozen leader. Mentally she started to mull over a few options regarding what they should do about the men before Zuko spoke up.

"The arrow didn't go all the way through, but I still won't be able to bend properly until it's healed. Would you be able to heal it?"

Katara looked over at him and nodded before moving closer to pull the shoulder of his shirt down. He had left the head of the arrow in which was a smart move on his part. Had he completely removed the offending projectile he'd probably be unconscious due to the loss of blood.

She kneeled next to him and siphoned more water from the waterskin.

"I'll only be able to heal it in increments since I'm out of water from the Spirit Oasis. I haven't been there in a couple of years."

"That's fine," the Fire Lord grunted before closing his eyes at the soothing feeling of the cool water as Katara started to heal his wound.

"What are we going to do with these guys?"

"They'll know something about the rebellion, I'm sure."

"We should question them just in case there are others following behind them."

"Right," Zuko responded. He watched as the master waterbender separated the blood from the water she used, in midair, before allowing the water to return to the waterskin. It was all really fascinating.

Katara began to rummage around in his rucksack. When she clearly didn't find what she sought, she looked up at Zuko, with her eyes narrowed into slits.

"What?"

"You packed moon peaches. You packed sea slugs. Our weapons are here but you didn't pack _bandaging _materials?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't think that they would be necessary," Zuko defended himself.

"And what would you say about that thought, now? I swear at times like this you seem to channel that brother of mine," sighed the woman as she pushed his rucksack aside. She grabbed a hold of the sash around his waist and pulled it from around his body before tying it tightly above the arrow wound in order to slow the blood flow.

Zuko winced at the pain but kept his mouth shut. The beautiful waterbender placed her hand lightly atop the arrowhead and used her senses to gauge how deeply it was implanted.

"Zuko, I'm sure that this is going to hurt you quite a bit..."

"Why? You're supposed to be healing me! Not making it worse."

"I have to bloodbend the arrowhead out of your shoulder, idiot. I don't want to just yank it out. That would cause more damage and we need to get it now before an infection starts to set in. Who knows how gross these guys are."

Zuko opened his mouth with a witty retort in mind but shut it quickly. He knew the story of how Katara had gained her bloodbending ability. Her waterbending skills had far improved since she had claimed her title of mastery. Though her abilities were made stronger by it's push and pull properties, she no longer required the full moon for bloodbending.

The Fire Lord also knew that her resolve on bloodbending was still strong and she rarely used it unless a situation called for it.

Zuko let out a gasp as he felt the arrowhead being worked out of his arm. She wasn't kidding about the pain. He could feel every painful prick that each blood cell had to endure as she manipulated them into getting the remainder of the projectile from his shoulder.

Finally, it was out. Katara took the makeshift tourniquet from around his arm and wrapped it around his wound.

"This'll do until we get you-know-where," said the waterbender as she quickly cleaned her hands before placing them on her hips in contemplation, "Now, what to do with these guys…".

"Katara, I know that we should ask them questions but we need to get to—we need to get _there_ as soon as possible. They're expecting us," grunted the former prince. He awkwardly hoisted himself up from the ground, swaying just a bit.

"Are you crazy!" the woman exclaimed.

"Not yet. I know that it seems odd, but they're just rebels. We have to get moving," urged Zuko, his normal scowl back upon his face.

"Zuko, this makes no sense. At all. I realize that craziness runs in your family but I thought you

took after your mother."

"There's no time for this. Katara, I left Aang to handle these rebellious affairs. I need to find her. The temple agreed to help me after much begging on my part. I nearly fell to my knees to bequest their whereabouts from my uncle," Zuko whispered strongly.

Katara let out a sound of aggravation before turning to the rebels. She motioned her wrist upward to melt the ice surrounding the burly boss siphoning the water back into the waterskin.

"You are fools," the rebellious man exclaimed as he moved to pick up his unconscious subordinate who he carelessly threw over his shoulder.

"Yeah…I know," Katara sighed and with a rapid movement proving her mastery, she flung her wrist outward to slam the man against a tree.

He slumped to the ground under the weight of the man he carried. The Fire Lord winced at Katara's nonchalant behavior.

"At least now, they'll be out for a while."

* * *

Sokka sighed loudly as he began his bedtime ritual of removing his armored uniform. After receiving his orders from Toph, he had returned to his apartment-sized barracks that housed members of the Sword Squad while they were in the city.

The day had been tiring for him. He had ventured to the city early that morning to report his findings to Toph and throughout the day, he'd been paranoid. He watched everyone around him.

Sokka shook his head as he recalled Azula's accusations against the Kyoshi Warriors, the group that was led by his girlfriend of several years.

The warrior sat down on the edge of his bed to remove his boots. What kind of a man was he to question his Suki? This was no way to be loyal to the woman that he would one day marry.

Sokka tossed his boot, not so lightly, across the room in aggravation. He knew that Azula wasn't trustworthy. Oh, he more than knew, however, there was no reason for her to lie. He had noticed the strange behavior of the guards as he made to leave the Asylum. Only time would tell if she was lying or not.

"Great, I caught you in your best state. Shirtless," came a sweet voice from the doorway. Sokka looked up in shock. Suki was standing there, free of her uniform with a sheer pink tunic on over a red camisole top and knee-length shorts.

He studied the grin on the woman's face. How could she be leading a rebellion?

"What are you doing here? I thought you were on Kyoshi Island?"

"I decided to surprise you," Suki explained closing the door. She walked over to the bed and sat down beside the brown-skinned man.

"Yeah, you sure did that," Sokka chuckled nervously.

"You look like you've had a long day. What has Toph been having you guys do?" Suki reached her hand up to his hard forearm.

"Just normal guard stuff. Nothing serious. Yeah, I've had too long of a day. I think I'm just going to get cleaned and then I need to get some sleep," Sokka spoke standing quickly. He noted the dull thud of Suki's hand as it hit the bed.

"Toph mentioned to me that you were starting a voyage to the Fire Nation tomorrow," Suki said when Sokka walked out of his bathroom, freshly washed and dressed in his sleeping robes.

"Yes. We are going to investigate the rebel attacks that Zuko wrote to us about a week ago."

Sokka walked to his small kitchen area of his apartment and rummaged around until he found a package of imported seal jerky. He hopped up onto his counter and observed his girlfriend as he tore open the packet.

"Why is it that only four of your squad is going?" Suki inquired lightly, "Won't you require more?"

"It's a quiet operation. If I show up there with too many of my men, it'll be obvious what we're there for."

Sokka instantly felt that Suki was sorting through his words in an effort to search for information and…it hurt. Hell, it hurt when she mentioned the hard truth that only four of his squad were selected for this mission including Haru. Needless to say, the four that were selected had all been involved in stopping Ozai _six_ years ago.

"Yeah, you're right," Suki spoke, a grin on her face. She walked over to him and stood on the tips of her toes to give the warrior a light kiss. Sokka, knowing that he couldn't jeopardize her trust in him, pulled her close, tightly to his body, and kissed her back deeply.

When he released her, he managed a smile

"You should go. I need to get some sleep."

* * *

"Where the hell is it, Zuko?" Your stupid map says that it's supposed to be here," Katara complained.

The two had finally reached the point on the map that marked their destination. But there wasn't anything…there. They were standing in a small clearing in the woods, oval in shape, surrounded by nothing but trees.

Zuko studied the horribly drawn map once again.

"It says that we're in the right location. I don't understand."

Frustrated, Katara narrowed her eyes and stomped to the tree nearest to her, "I guess this tree is going to help us find your mother! No, wait, maybe THIS tree. Or that one!"

The woman stomped around the clearing in anger.

"KATARA!" Zuko's voice boomed loudly. He was just as irritable as she was, but she didn't have to carry on like so.

Katara whipped around toward the Fire Lord, her breathing heavy. He had rolled the map back up and stood there with his hand holding his injured shoulder.

"You should calm down. Being angry is doing nothing for our situation."

"I'm sorry. I'm just over-tired. Getting that arrow out of your arm exhausted me more than I thought it would," she explained, running her hand across her face.

"It's all right. Think about the organization and what clues they usually leave behind."

"Usually it's those tiles with the—so we look around for a Pai Sho tile?" Katara asked in confusion.

Zuko walked around the clearing, his eyes keen on the area around him. Usually when he sought council from Iroh, he was left with some cryptic words of wisdom. Uncle didn't really leave him with anything the last time that they had spoken. The map offered no help. He had studied it front and back while Katara was having her moment of…weakness.

"Do you think there's a stone or something that we have to move for a secret door to open?" Katara inquired, much like her older brother used to do.

At once Zuko went back to the time that he and Aang had discovered that his uncle hadn't killed the last dragons. He remembered the traps that he and the airbender had to go through to realize just that.

"No idea. I'm still trying to figure—," Zuko was interrupted by rapid movement on his right side. He spun around to see someone swinging from a vine, right for him. He ducked down on instinct and whipped his head toward Katara to be sure that she was okay.

The person on the vine flipped up into the air before landing between the two. Zuko stood up, his hand on his injured shoulder, angry that he couldn't really fight. Katara had her own hands positioned on the lid of the waterskin. They both waited for any sudden move of the assailant.

The vine-swinger was clad in all black, tight enough for them to recognize that there was a very slim woman in front of them. She wore a mask.

"What are you doing in these woods?" she questioned, her voice filled with authority. Katara tilted her head at the girl's raspy voice, which seemed very familiar to her.

"Who are you?" Zuko opted to ask instead of answering the girl's own question.

The two watched as she pulled her mask off and a mass of shaggy dark brown hair cascaded downward to settle in the middle of her back. Four tattooed stripes marked her cheeks, two on each side. Katara instantly recognized her.

"Smellerbee!"

The girl turned towards Katara in shock, her arms positioned to fight. Katara had removed her hands from her waterskin, her defenses down.

"How do you know my name?" Smellerbee suspiciously asked in alarm, her kohl-rimmed eyes narrowed.

"It's me, Katara of the Water Tribe."

Smellerbee's eyes widened in amazement. She hadn't seen Katara since the Fire Lord was crowned. She looked different…older, with shorter hair, but it was definitely her.

"And so it is. Who's this guy?" Smellerbee gestured with her thumb.

"The Fire Lord," Zuko muttered with a frown. His shoulder was starting to hurt him more and more, and his stomach being free of a full meal did nothing to help.

Smellerbee turned around, once again in shock.

"Yeah, it's you," she grinned noticing the scar, "Sorry, the mask gave me limited visibility."

"I know the feeling," Zuko mumbled. He was never too fond of Jet's crew, even after the freedom fighter's death. He knew that they had changed and so had he…but he couldn't help it when his pride got in the way.

"What are you doing here, Smellerbee?" Katara asked.

"I'm one of the guards but I was told to guide the two of you in when you arrived. We had received word by way of a hawk that you'd be coming. I apologize for not looking before attacking, Fire Lord."

Zuko nodded.

"Well, let's go. There's a reason you're here."

* * *

I APOLOGIZE so much for the lateness of this chapter. There's no excuse besides the ever-present writer's block. I promise that the next one will be out within the next couple of weeks, if not sooner.

Please enjoy and thank you all for the reviews. They mean so much to me!

OH, and to make up for the lack of Zutara moments in this chapter, I have Zutara art for your eyes. Refer to my profile.

I plan to have more up soon.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The trees were becoming denser and it was steadily getting more difficult to navigate through the brush, the couple soon discovered as Smellerbee led them away from the clearing. Yet, Katara still managed to allow her memories to overcome her.

Smellerbee had not been among Jet's small family when she had assisted them in rebuilding their village. According to the boys, after the war, she'd run off to be on her own to evaluate her life without Jet. She had taken his death especially hard being that she had been with him the longest. So, this is where she'd run to.

They had been walking for about ten minutes and no matter how far ahead their eyes could see, there was no point of destination.

"I despise trees!" Katara exclaimed after she tripped over the third tree root, this time falling to the ground.

Zuko moved to help her up with his good arm though it did cause his wound to ache.

"Calm down," he spoke, rolling his narrow amber eyes. Their guide had stopped walking and waited patiently for Katara to dust herself off.

"We're only approximately five feet away if you're curious. Do you wish to get there or not?" Her voice held no tones of rushing though the two travelers felt the desire to reach the temple as soon as possible.

"Five feet? There is no temple around here!" Katara bit back.

"Katara, shut up," Zuko muttered forcefully. He was definitely getting annoyed by her attitude. It seemed that not even six years could rid him of that.

Smellerbee took a seat on a nearby boulder and brought her hands up to her mouth. A sound, much like a bird's, could be heard. Almost instantly the ground beneath their feets began to rumble and groan as it shifted before their very eyes.

A set of rocky stairs had appeared and were lost sight of as they descended beneath the dark earth.

"Follow those stairs all the way down. It's going to be completely dark when I have the door sealed back up so watch your step," stated Smellerbee quietly. The lithe, wild-haired girl gestured toward the hole. The two travelers began to make their way towards the hole.

Zuko half-bowed to the girl with genuine appreciation and she nodded back. The former freedom fighter watched as the two descended the stairs before making a few soft cooing noises. Immediately the entrance closed, encasing the couple under a sheet of darkness and dusty grime.

The air was stale and it was a bit difficult to breath.

"Zuko, light a flame so that we may see where we're going," Katara whispered loudly, her hands itching to grasp his arm.

"I can't. There isn't much oxygen down here to hold a flame."

"Smart thinking, Fire Lord," came a deep voice from ahead. Instinctively Katara moved her hand to the lid of her waterskin and moved in front of the wounded man.

"Who's there?" Zuko spoke up, his voice calm with no evidence of alarm.

"Just keep walking and you'll find out soon enough. Step lightly."

"Be cautious," muttered Zuko. Katara led the way in the dark using her waterbending senses to seek out the unknown person so that they wouldn't walk into a wall.

Finally, they could see a dim light up ahead caused by a single candle that was being held by a tall figure who stood regally, much like Zuko. As they approached, the tall man bowed before them. When he was righted, Zuko nodded. Though he looked familiar, he could not place this gentleman's face.

"Master Piandao?" Katara called out quizzically. Zuko shook his head. Of course she knew who it was.

"Yes, Master Katara, it is I."

Zuko glanced over at the woman who stood beside him and noticed the grin upon her face.

"Wait...Piandao? You're Sokka's old swordbending master?"

"I don't know too much about that 'old' business but I was his master at one point, Fire Lord. Now that introductions are out of the way, come with me. You'll need to have that shoulder looked at and I grow tired of rubbing stones together to relight this candle," Piandao chuckled.

It made sense that the master swordsman was there because of his membership with the White Lotus and the closeness of his estate but what confused Zuko was the _why._ He knew of some members of the secret organization and they usually convened when there were times of distress. Surely they hadn't gathered there for a matter so simple as rebels.

Of course, Master Piandao could just be visiting. Zuko shook that silly notion out of his head. Piandao led them into a more brightly lit dim room and the two instantly found it easier to breath.

This room was simple in terms of decor and was round to reflect the stone carving of a lotus in the center of the floor. There were five doors, including the one that they had just entered leading away from this room.

The master pointed to a door on their right.

"Go through that door and there'll be another door parallel to it. Quickly now."

Katara grabbed onto Zuko's good arm, for the sake of needing to touch him, and pulled him towards the door.

"Hope to see you soon, sir," the woman smiled warmly, turning her head. She was really eager to get some food into her system and she hoped that the accommodations were...accommodating. Zuko allowed her to guide him through the first door and noted as the door clicked upon closing. That's when he remembered that he had wanted to ask Piandao why he was on guard duty.

He opened the door that they had just come through and was shocked to find that the lotus room was no longer there. Instead, there was only a rocky wall. There were strong earthbenders at work and even stronger defense systems.

"Ingenious," the Fire Lord muttered in astonishment.

"Zuko, there's a futon in here. And a table with food."

Zuko turned around to find that Katara had already opened the parallel door. He followed her into the room with his eyes automatically zeroing in on the food.

"Welcome Fire Lord Zuko and Master Katara. We are glad to see that you've made it here safely."

The companions looked up to see that a door had opened and in walked a formally dressed older woman with a similarly clothed girl at her side. They bowed in respect, earning a nod from Zuko and a bow from the master waterbender.

"We are here to tend to your injury Fire Lord and to make sure that you two are well taken care of before the delegates arrive tomorrow. Please take a seat," the woman spoke slowly, enunciating every word. She gestured to the futon.

"Master Katara, do you care to follow Wen to our bathhouse?" I'm sure that you'd enjoy fresh clothing," the lady smiled. Her assistant bowed to the waterbender .

"Sure. I'd love that," Katara spoke hesitantly. She locked eyes with Zuko, noticing just how tired his amber eyes looked. She could also see that he'd been attempting to ignore the pain of his wound.

"Go ahead Katara. The food will still be here when you return."

Approximately an hour later, Katara was guided into a room that contained two futons and a tea table. Zuko was sitting at the table with his normal look of brooding upon his face. His hands were cupped around a cup and he was staring into it as if the steam could tell him it's secrets. Katara mentally sighed.

"How's the tea?" she questioned as she took a seat at the tea table directly across from him. The kimono that Wen had given her to sleep in was incredibly comfortable and allowed for easy movement.

"They need a few tips from my uncle but...it's not bad," Zuko cleared his throat and looked up, "Katara, do you think that they'll be able to help?"

Katara looked up and locked gaze with is tired amber eyes. He was getting that look again, the one of self-pity.

"Yes, or else your uncle wouldn't have given you this lead, but we won't know until tomorrow. How's your arm?"

She offered him a grin which he appreciated but it didn't make him feel any better. He knew that she was hoping to break him of this attitude before he regressed but he was stubborn.

Zuko looked down his nose at his freshly bandaged shoulder.

"Better," he grunted, "Are you feeling better?"

"Much!" Katara exclaimed reaching across the table for a bowl that contained rice and bull-antelope stew.

Zuko studied the woman as she sighed in appreciation at the meal. He had no appetite, himself, due to the throbbing ache of his injury but he knew from experience that he'd eat like a platypus-bear upon waking up in the morning due to his body's sleep-time healing process.

He rather liked her semi-wild, short, wavy hair and the way that it curled up around her cheeks and ears to frame her face. Though he longed to run his fingers through her long hair of the past, he did much enjoy the fact that he could see her face, now. Zuko had really missed her, he realized.

"I've missed you," he blurted in a nearly inaudible whisper. Noticing his slip-up, the Fire Lord took a chance and glanced up to gauge Katara's reaction.

She was frozen. Her hand that had been guiding her chopsticks to her mouth had frozen in midair. He watched as she blinked rapidly and could not help but to feel a bit of pride at the fact that he had caused this disruption.

"Did you now?" Katara questioned, finally managing to compose herself.

"I did."

There was silence. She had obviously not expected a reply. Katara had probably imagined that he would hostilely change the subject to hide his moment of weakness as he was prone to do, but no. He stood his ground.

"I've missed you too, Fire Lord. I've missed everyone."

"You never visited…like you promised," Zuko stated. With his words, a myriad of images popped into his head, namely those that had involved his evening with the waterbender during his last stay in the Earth Kingdom.

Katara resumed her eating, taking a few small bites before responding with, "I know."

Zuko could feel his temper begin to flare. That's all she could think to say? He drummed his fingers along the grain of the wooden tea table in an effort to calm himself down.

"Why?" he managed to bite out.

Katara shrugged and he lost it. Here he was, in love with this woman and she didn't give the slightest damn. He stood up abruptly, nearly knocking over the table, and walked over to one of the futons before throwing himself onto it, not caring if he damaged his shoulder any more and not caring that he was acting like a spoiled prince.

"So you're moody now?" Katara asked as she nonchalantly picked up a cloth napkin to wipe her mouth.

"Waterbender..." Zuko warned, his voice in a low growl.

"I'm just saying. You asked me a question, to which I responded. Why are you so upset?"

"A shrug is not a dignified response," countered the former prince.

Katara threw down her chopsticks and turned towards the angry man.

"Nor is a temper tantrum!"

Zuko turned onto the side of his uninjured shoulder away from the waterbender's glare. He wanted to be angry for he hadn't felt that way in years but seeing her riled up was causing his rage to subside. He had missed their back and forths.

The air was quiet and the only sounds that could be heard were of the rocks, beyond the walls of their room, subtly being moved. It was a calming sound that was gently beginning to lull the Fire Lord to sleep.

"You're such a stubborn jerk," mumbled Katara. She had gotten up from the table and walked over to his futon. With a deep, calming breath, she sat down, which instantly jarred Zuko causing him to be alert.

He could feel as her fingers lightly began to dance a top his hurt shoulder.

"I learned this from Ty Lee some time ago so I'm not sure how effective it is. It's a technique designed to soothe burning muscles and I figure that your shoulder's on fire."

"Thanks."

Katara then cleared her throat and blinked back the tears that she knew would come.

"I never visited because I knew that I'd never be able to leave."

* * *

"Haru, gather the squad. I need to brief you all on the mission."

Haru nodded and went do do as requested. Sokka stood up from his desk where minutes before he'd been memorizing the layout of the Fire Nation's lands. He reached his arms over his head for a stretch. HE had been sitting at that desk for at least three hours straight and the sun hadn't even come up.

They were on an Earth Kingdom Navy ship en route to the Fire Nation.

"Sir? You asked for us?"

Sokka turned to address the only four men who could be trusted, "We are going to seek council with the Fire Lord to discuss and investigate the rebel attacks. Unfortunately, we are also investigating whether or not your comrades are involved. This is to be kept confidential. If I receive any indication that our mission has been compromised, the culprit will have to deal with the serious repercussions of a traitor," Sokka paused to look into the eyes of each squad member, "Do I make myself clear?"

The four men nodded before saluting. Sokka saluted in response.

"Be on alert at all times. Even during meals. If you encounter anything suspicious communicate without words." Sokka rolled his eyes at his choice of words and fought himself not to laugh.

"Communicate by hand signals," Haru clarified with a small grin.

"So, Boss, are you just going to hide away in here until we reach the Fire Nation or are you going to join us for dinner?" Rowl, the youngest squad member spoke up.

Rowl was raised in a nomadic tribe that claimed to be able to trace their roots back to the Air Nomads although no one in his tribe could bend air. When he was twelve, Rowl, his parents, and his brother had traveled to the Northern Watertribe after a visit to view the Northern Air Temple's ruins. They had liked the area so much that they decided to make a home there.

When he was sixteen, Rowl rushed to enlist in the Sword Squad after meeting Sokka during a diplomatic meeting. Haru handpicked the boy to be one of the most trustworthy members of the squad after only a year's enlistment. Sokka trusted that judgment.

"Dinner sounds great. I'll be there momentarily. I have to go over the palace's blindspots one more time. Be sure not to eat all of the meat."

The Sword Squad laughed at their leader as he dismissed them to go ahead to the dining room of their ship.

Sokka sighed. Truthfully, he'd gone over the entirety of the Fire Nation's blueprints to the point in which he could draw them out himself. He just needed to cool his thoughts.

From the day that he had spoken to Azula, his thoughts had been running rampant and he hadn't gotten much sleep. Hopefully, Zuko would be able to offer as much support as he could.

The tired man sighed again and rolled the blueprints up. Anything would be great, as long as his mind was soon able to rest easy.

* * *

HELLO!

This. This is incredibly late. I know. The sad part is, I had it all written out months ago but I've been busy with LIFE and more recently the fact that my sister went missing for a week before we, thankfully, found her. Whew. But. Here you are. :] Ignore any/all typos, please.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

At first it was calming and allowed him to drift asleep but now it was beyond maddening. Zuko hated how the earthbenders were working to move the rooms continuously though he understood that it was to assist them if the location was compromised.

It was irritating now, especially since he now couldn't sleep thanks to what Katara had revealed to him earlier. It made no sense that she'd been torturing herself for the past few years by staying away from the Fire Nation and essentially . . . him.

Currently she was slumped over onto the bed having cried herself to sleep. Several times over he'd mentally wrestled with himself whether or not he should pull her onto the bed to make her more comfortable.

If he touched her, he wouldn't want to let go. Zuko clenched his fists before sitting up. He took a deep breath, braced his bandaged arm mentally and grabbed onto the sleeping woman gently in order to bring her onto the bed with him.

The Fire Lord went to release her but found that he could not. He hugged her to his chest and before long he was sleeping also.

* * *

Lifeless. That's how she felt locked within the confounds of the prison that was pretty much built on her behalf. All she did was eat, sleep and be subjected to ridicule by the celebrated Kyoshi Warriors. She had no hope.

Truth be told, she hadn't really been hopeful of anything throughout the duration of her life. Well, except for the hope that one day she'd find out why her mother never loved her.

She supposed that the jealousy of her brother was a definite contributor to her psychopathic tendencies. She blamed Ursa.

Azula snarled and threw her dinner bowl against the nearest stone wall. Ever since her bending had been forcefully removed, her mind hadn't been fueled by the intense rage that came with fire and electricity. She'd been thinking too much and that pissed her off.

She was angry at Zuko, Iroh, Ursa, Ozai. . .and herself. She could feel her face crumple and her eyes sting. Tears were coming. She still wasn't used to the sting of tears that came with free time and thought.

"How pathetic."

Azula stiffened at the callous sound of those words. She had been wondering when the esteemed leader of the Kyoshi Warriors would pay her a visit.

"What the hell are you sobbing for? You're living the life in here. You've got servants who bring you food. You've got your own bedroom, etcetera, etcetera," Suki snickered through the bars of Azula's door.

"Oh, go dance with those fancy little fans of yours," the former princess said calmly.

"Not today. You see, I have word from my girls that you've been sending out requests to speak with my boyfriend again. Wasn't one visit from him enough?" Suki spoke softly, "Because your behavior has been less than extraordinary lately, you're going to be relaxing in The Chamber for a while."

Azula immediately tensed. The Chamber was the part of the prison that uncooperative prisoners were sent to. She was well aware of the solitary confinement that The Chamber had to offer and, if at all possible, it drove her even more mad.

She had been stuck in The Chamber for her first two months of incarceration while awaiting her fate to have her breath of fire removed.

"Not so mouthy now, hmmm?" Suki chuckled maliciously, "This way, I won't have to worry about you spreading false information to anyone."

The Kyoshi Warrior's words caused Azula's eyebrow to flinch. She'd never had any type of hope before but she hoped that the Water Tribe peasant had taken heed to her words.

* * *

Sokka was amazed at how different it…**felt **to be in the Fire Nation. It was amazing how heavy the air wasn't. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply as flashbacks of his time there as a sixteen year old had reawakened causing him to grin stupidly.

"Sir, the Avatar is here," Haru spoke, a gentle smile present on his face. Sokka hadn't seen Aang in months and he was still amazed at how tall the boy had grown. In those months he'd gotten taller than Sokka. Still, seeing Aang brought Sokka back to reality.

Aang outstretched his arms and used his element to propel himself forward. He nearly pushed Sokka down with the force of his pounce.

"Sokka, how are you?" The young monk exclaimed after he released the soldier.

"Good, good," Sokka stated hoping that his face didn't betray his words.

"It's nice to hear that. Here, a carriage is here for us. There's another one here for your men."

"Great. Wait, where is Zuko? I figured that he'd be meeting me here."

"Well, he's away on business. I'll discuss this with you more when we get to the palace. You understand?"

Sokka's eyebrows rose out of curiosity and he nodded. This put a spin on things. He had received no word from Toph that the Fire Lord would be away. . .if Toph even knew.

"So who's taking care of things while the Fire Lord is away?" questioned Sokka as he climbed into the first carriage with Aang.

"Well, I am the Fire Lord while he's gone," the Avatar grinned offhandedly.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I'll be handling all affairs and dealings with the council until his return."

"So have you been training all this time to be Fire Lord?"

"Not exactly. I've learned a lot of business techniques from my past lives. They can be quite helpful when they need to be. Zuko trusted me well enough to handle things around here while he's gone. I'm honored."

Sokka noted the huge grin that spread across the younger man's face. Maybe this was Aang's calling.

* * *

Katara was comfortable. Very comfortable and warm. Here eyelids fluttered open and she took a minute to assess her surroundings. The warmth was wrapped around her like a silk scarf yet…it wasn't. She gasped as she realized just what the warmth _was_.

She was lying across Zuko, her head in the crook of his neck and one of her arms resting on his rising and falling chest. She took the time to appreciate where she lay.

His body was as hard as she remembered; the toning no doubt a result of his intense training regimen. She felt her heartbeat quickening due to her attraction towards him and she smiled as she realized how much she cared for this man.

She could never leave him now. She felt his good arm tighten around her which made her smile stretch even wider. Maybe he didn't want her to leave either.

His touch reminded her of the warm feeling that was felt when one looked at the sunset. Katara felt him begin to stir.

"Zuko," she whispered as she lifted her head to look at his gentle face. Katara was kind of shocked that she had awakened before him as he generally rose with the sun. Perhaps his body's clock was thrown off by his damaged shoulder.

"Damn it," Zuko sleepily muttered.

Katara lifted herself up and grinned as the man lifted his good arm and slapped his hand over his face.

"Wake up, Fire Lord. We are meeting with members of the White Lotus today."

Zuko could hear the smile in Katara's voice and he knew that despite their pointless argument the night before, everything between them was okay. He rolled onto his side and cringed. It was his injured arm.

He swore loudly before sitting completely upright. His head was so clouded with sleep and his love fore the waterbender that he'd completely forgotten about how badly hurt his shoulder was.

"You okay?" Katara asked, her hand outstretched.

"I'll be fine. Go ahead and get ready. I'm not sure what time they'll want us to meet. I'll turn around."

As he did so, Katara begin to change. At that point, she really did not care if he watched. She smiled to herself as the realization of just how sensual and bold she felt in his presence hit her. She looked over her unclothed shoulder at him to see that he was indeed turned around.

She felt slightly disappointed that he wasn't peeking and then guilty of such naughty thoughts. She could feel her cheeks burn and hurried to finish dressing.

"Done," Katara stated. She felt the blood in her body buzz. Someone was near their room, "Zu—."

"Fire Lord!" The door was being knocked on, quite vigorously. Zuko stood up, his senses on alert.

"Come in," said Zuko, his tone deep. Katara got in a defensive stance. Something wasn't right.

It was Master Piandao and a slightly beat up Smellerbee.

Smellerbee slammed the door shut behind her.

"There's an ambush. The rebels have found our location. They want us all destroyed because the White Lotus is an important icon for peace between all nations, I am afraid," Master Piandiao explained in a rush.

"What do we do?" Smellerbee questioned, her voice strained. The rebels had attacked her first. While she was a strong fighter, she was no match for a bunch of them at once so she had no choice but to run into the underground location for aid.

"There's an escape route beneath the bed. It will take you into the mountains. Go. I will stay and fight," Piandiao closed his eyes and nodded.

"No way. We're fighting too. I'm here for a reason and I won't leave until I get the information that I asked for," Zuko said, angry that he was so close to the answers he wanted but still so very far away thanks to the rebel forces.

"No. You are hurt. They will take pride in the capture and torture of you both just to prove their point. These rebels are fueled by anger and ignorance. The most ignorant point being that they are all of different nations who are working together to stop the threat of ongoing peace. I find the irony to be amazing. Now, go."

Smellerbee wasted no time and heeded his orders by pushing the bed and lifting a stone door to an escape hatch.

"Zuko, he's right. Let's go," the other woman stated pulling him gently toward the escape hatch.

"But what about my mother?"

"Seek King Bumi. He is the last person who is known to have shared words with her."

* * *

it's been a while. thanks for sticking with me. i've been super busy lately.

thanks for all of the lovely words of encouragement by way of review. :)


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The young man was dangerously upset. Katara could practically see the steam coming out of his ears. Upon a second look, steam was coming out of his ears.

The trio trudged thru the dark tunnels that were beneath the Hidden Temple as quickly as they could.

"Smellerbee, where do these tunnels lead?" asked Katara as she felt along the walls. It was incredibly dark and damp in the enclosed space.

Smellerbee sighed loudly before answering, "To the Fire Nation. More specifically, just outside of Master Piandiao's estate".

Smellerbee coughed gruffily and kicked a few rocks out of frustration, her wild, frizzy hair going every which-way.

"Back to where we started?" Zuko growled loudly. Running around in circles in an effort to locate his mother was becoming an increasingly unattainable task.

"Calm down, Fire Lord," spoke Smellerbee, "She wants you to find her".

"I'm not so sure," Zuko mumbled.

There was silence for a good ten minutes amongst the trio as they walked through the tunnel in a steadfast fashion.

"How long is it going to take before we exit?" questioned Katara. She was annoyed by the silence and forlorn attitudes of her companions.

"Ten minutes perhaps. Once you reach the exit, go back to the palace. Give it a while before you contact Bumi. Do not make mention of any of the events that occurred with your council. We fear the threat of corruption. I'm turning back now. Keep walking. There'll be foliage to mark the end . Good luck," Smellerbee spoke quietly.

Katara noted the tired tone of fear in the young woman's voice as she stopped walking. She whispered words of thanks to her before continuing on. There was no need to convince her to join them. She wouldn't. She knew her purpose in life, and she wasn't going to desert it.

* * *

Within ten minutes, sure enough the couple had made it out of the tunnel into the fresh clear air of the Fire Nation.

"Zuko, I know how upset you are but it's going to do us no good," Katara spoke up. She watched as he readjusted the bushes to be sure that the tunnel was well hid. He was silent for a few more seconds.

"Do you?"

"Must we go over this again? Your people killed my mother. I most certainly know how it is to not have a mother," Katara stated. Her voice was hard, cold. She wasn't mad at him because, as she said, she knew how he felt, but…his self-pity was wearing on her.

"Sorry…this is all just really stressful. I don't know how much more I can take."

Katara watched sadly as Zuko trudged forward, no doubt eager to just get back to the Fire Nation.

"My father is locked up without his bending. Azula is…mad and also without bending. To strip bending from a person who has had it as a sixth sense since they were born is to fracture the soul. I can't help but feel a bit…of guilt from that… and… my…my mother did not make it easy for me to find her."

He had been a boy, just as young as she had been, when he'd lost his mother. She knew the pain. She knew it all but too well but to have the knowledge that his mother was alive and nowhere close to being within his grasp, had to be heartbreaking for him.

The Fire Lord reached out his hand for her to grab onto as they started their small journey back to the palace. Katara willingly accepted his hand for she was sure that she would never be able to leave the man now.

* * *

Sokka stared across the vast table covered in many different types of foods and sweets. His men were all seated as well while the last airbender flitted about the rom. Momo, whom Sokka had not seen in ages, and had missed greatly, was the one who took the initiative and dove into a plate that overflowed with fruit.

Sokka grinned before diving in himself.

"You haven't changed one bit!" exclaimed the substitute Fire Lord.

Sokka managed a grin with a mouthful of salted seal and sweet bread. He chewed a bit and swallowed the barely chewed food which caused a choking spasm. His men watched on as he beat upon his chest for a few seconds and gulped down water.

Once he was calm and could breathe freely again, everyone burst into laughter.

"I could've died!"

"I would have had Momo save you," Aang remarked, happily.

All morning, since he and the most trustworthy of the Sword Squad had arrived, Sokka had been briefing Aang on the specifics of their presence in the Fire Nation. The knowledge didn't particularly alarm the airbender but it did cause him to assign more guards and more guarding shifts around the perimeter of the palace walls.

He even doubled the security around the entirety of the Fire Nation. It was dinner time now, and Sokka had finally gotten a chance to momentarily unwind although every little movement throughout the day had made him twitch.

His instincts told him that they were being watched, and he trusted those instincts with every fiber of his being. A thought struck him suddenly as he bit into a flaky pastry filled with hot flakes and fish. Aang hadn't yet told him why Zuko was away.

"You said that Zuko was away on business?"

"Yes, well not exactly business. Well, it's his business. He's searching for his mother."

The group of soldiers that had been chatting carelessly silenced their speech to listen. Every soldier in the Sword Squad knew that the Fire Lord was hell bent on finding his mother. Zuko had sent quite a few notices to Sokka over the years, requesting the aid of a few of his soldiers to scout for his mother. Of course, this yielded no positive results.

"He's actually searching for her himself now?" Aang nodded before speaking, "You wouldn't in a million years guess who he's got searching with him."

"Katara," Sokka answered with no hesitation. He knew that the best person to have with Zuko was his sister. He remembered the experience long ago with the man who had murdered their mother. He had never known how bitter Katara was over it all until she had enlisted the help of the recently excommunicated prince to find the man and kill him.

He knew though, that she could never do it, no matter how angry she was, and she didn't. And now, she was helping Zuko and Sokka wasw well aware that she wasn't just helping the Fire Lord because she owed him.

No, he had noticed the way that they looked at one another when the other wasn't looking. Even when Katara had claimed to despise Zuko because he represented the entirety of the Fire Nation in her eyes, Sokka had seen the emotional conflict behind her gaze.

He knew love. Sokka knew love well enough to know that the woman _he_ was in love with was betraying him and all that he stood for.

"You're no fun," spoke up Aang with a crooked grin.

Sokka smiled with hopes that he was disguising the fact that the gears in his mind continued to turn. He needed to figure out what he was going to do with the rebel forces in the Fire Nation.

Hours later, Sokka found himself walking around the palace with no destination in mind. When Zuko had renovated the Fire Nation palace, he took Sokka's advice and changed the layout in minor ways so that the security was reinforced.

During his wandering, Sokka noticed that he had ended up in the west wing of the palace. A deserted wing. According to the blueprints that he had carefully and meticulously gone over, the west wing was comprised of servant quarters and the old bedroom of the former princess.

* * *

Everything in her room was coated in a thick layer of dust as if time had stood still in Azula's absence. Sokka looked around the room before he realized that there were boot prints all over the room. Each set had a different level of dust covering it. It looked as if the room's visitor had been pacing quite frequently over the years, something that the warrior was well-accustomed to doing himself.

He knew from the size of the boot prints that it was the same person and he knew who they belonged to. Zuko.

Of course his sister was misguided and evoked certain psychopathic tendencies but she was still the Fire Lord's sister. He was raised with her and couldn't help loving her. Sokka walked around the room and noted the few make up jars that rested atop the form princess's vanity.

Dust laden, dead flowers sat in a vase beside these jars and the grand, elaborately decorated mirror atop the vanity was so coated in grime that Sokka couldn't even see his own reflection.

He glanced around the rest of the room surprised at how feminine everything seemed. The beautiful face of Azula appeared in his mind's eye, and the gears in his head stopped spinning. He knew what he needed to do.

* * *

A/N:

FINALLY, I'm sure you're all saying. Please excuse the roughness of this chapter. My literature class this semester inspired me to bring out my pencil once more. Thanks! Please enjoy and leave me your thoughts.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"We are right back where we started," Zuko sighed as they approached the gates to the palace. It was early. The sun was close to two hours away from breaking through the clouds so the streets were deserted. For that, Katara was grateful. Zuko did not need to be bothered.

"But we've gotten close. We just have to get Omashu now," Katara stated. She chose her words carefully so that she wouldn't set him off.

"That's the problem. I keep getting so close and each time that I do, knowledge of her whereabouts are instantly ripped away from me. I am positive that she doesn't want to be found."

Katara was walking behind the prince and noted the subtle way that his head lowered. If they did not find his mother soon, he would fall apart.

"What is going on?!" came an exclamation from above the pair. They both looked up, instantly tense and ready to defend themselves.

Katara's shoulders relaxed when she realized that it was just the acting Fire Lord. Aang had apparently leapt from a guard tower and was slowly descending on his ever-present cloud of air.

"The Temple was attacked," Katara spoke, "Let's discuss this more in the palace?"

"Of course, Katara. You will be surprised to see who has come to visit," Aang replied. A smile was on his face although he did notice the defeated nature of the Fire Lord. He gestured his arm in such a way that would signal the guards to open the gates.

"Who's visiting? Did Toph finally decide to leave the comfort and plush life of Ba Sing Se?" Katara questioned with a lift to her voice. She could not be overcome with sympathy for the man she loved. He needed her to be strong.

"No. Your brother's here."

The waterbender seemed to be able to hear every dew drop fall from one leaf to another at that moment, due to the silence following Aang's words.

Katara's overall demeanor seemed to brighten. Her shoulders lifted and she fought an involuntary smile.

She had not seen her brother in quite a long time.

* * *

"Welcome back, Fire Lord!" came a chorus from the current inhabitants of the breakfast hall.

Zuko was shocked to see five people, all definitely from the Sword Squad organization, already seated at the table.

While Aang was speaking to Katara regarding Sokka's visit Zuko had zoned out and was busy contemplating his mother's whereabouts.

There seated at the head of the table, in the Fire Lord's place, was Chief of the Southern Water Tribe.

Zuko looked over at the woman that he loved to see tears streaming down her face. He silently wondered how long it had been since Katara had seen her older brother.

A better question to ask would be: Why were these guys here?

Sokka stood up and Zuko stepped out of the way so that he and Katara could embrace.

"I've missed you little sister!" Sokka exclaimed while he platapus-bear hugged the water bending master.

"I've missed you too, Sokka but...why are you guys here? Are the other squad members spread out around the palace?"

"No, actually. It's just us four. Toph sent us here on a scouting mission to check up on things," Sokka said making sure to follow the careful instructions that he had been given by his military superior. He was to speak to Aang only regarding the rebellion of the Kyoshi Warriors and so he had.

"Ah. Yes, we encountered a few rebels on our short journey," Katara said as she took a place at the table.

"Yes, on our journey..." Zuko mumbled. He wondered what these men were actually up to. It wasn't like Toph to 'check up on things'.

"How are things going in Ba Sing Se?"

"Standard," Haru spoke up.

"Oh! Hi Haru!" Katara exclaimed. She hadn't even realized that the Earthbender was there.

Haru grinned, "Hello, Master Katara."

Zuko looked between the two, instantly curious about the exchange before mentally shrugging it off. Katara would have told him if there had been any type of serious love interest between them.

"So, no rebel outbreaks there?" questioned Zuko.

"A few; here and there. Nothing to be too worried about. Our major worry stems from what these rebels can do as a whole," Sokka explained, "which is why Toph sent us here to make sure they weren't getting out of hand… since we hadn't heard from the Fire Lord as of late."

Zuko shrugged, "Things were under control."

"So why'd we stop three groups of rebels from breaking into the palace just last night?" Haru said jokingly.

"Child's play," Zuko muttered with another shrug, "I'm going to my quarters. I trust that Aang still has everything in order as Fire Lord and he should be more than happy to act as your host during your stay. For now, I'm taking a break."

Everyone watched as the tired, injured Fire Lord left the breakfast hall.

"Katara, what happened at the Temple?" Aang spoke up, concern for Zuko written on his face.

"It was attacked by rebels. We were lucky to get out before it was completely overrun thanks to a few of their guards. I'm pretty sure that it was just a coincidence that we were there."

"The Hidden Temple was compromised? Its location is exclusive to the chain of command of every sect," Sokka exclaimed. The location of the Temple was not something that was just thrown around in casual conversation. He did not like the sound of all of this at all.

"So we all thought. I'm beginning to think that this rebel thing runs a lot deeper than we'd like to believe," Haru spoke. He had crossed his arms in contemplation. The rest of the sword squad nodded and mumbled their agreement. Sokka grimaced at the thought.

"I'm going to go check on Zuko and then I'm going to get a nap in. We've had a trying morning. I'll see you all later."

The others watched as the waterbender left the breakfast hall in pursuit of the scarred man. Sokka stared on knowing that this would be the last time that he'd see his sister in a while.

* * *

"Zuko?" Katara said softly. She had made her way right through his guards to get into the Fire Lord's bed chambers. They hadn't tried to stop her which gave her the slightest inkling that Zuko knew that she'd be visiting.

The curtains were thickly woven and down allowing for no light to sneak through. The only sources of light were the few low burning torches that lined the walls and a few candles that surrounded the washtub.

Katara blinked as her eyes adjusted to the dim room before finally seeing that Zuko was seated on the edge of his large, ornately carved four-poster bed without his shirt on. He looked as if he had been preparing for a bath.

"Are you all right?" she asked closing the double doors behind her.

Zuko nodded and stood up.

"I don't know why I let myself get so down. I should be used to all of these setbacks by now."

"No, you shouldn't. I would be surprised if you weren't upset," Katara replied as she stepped closer to the man. He looked away from her and she pulled his face towards hers.

He could not meet her eyes.

"How's your shoulder?"

"It still hurts."

Zuko winced as Katara prodded the arrow wound before saying, "Get in the bath and I'll heal you a bit more."

"I appreciate you, you know that?" Zuko whispered bringing his arms around Katara's trim waist. Their foreheads were touching. His eyes were closed while hers were open wide in surprise.

"…thanks? Zuko?" He was acting really strange, much unlike himself.

"I wouldn't be able to take it if you left me." There was a tone of finality to his voice. Zuko pushed himself away from Katara before pulling at his sash around his waist. Katara instantly closed her eyes and she heard his clothing drop, unceremoniously, to the floor.

"Katara, I don't care if you look but…I'm all covered now."

And so he was. The washtub was filled with soapy bubbles that smelled like morning.

"I downed an entire bottle of cactus juice right before you walked in. It was stupid and I thought that it would numb the pain but it seems to be having the opposite effect," Zuko explained while nonchalantly flicking at wayward bubbles.

He was hurting and she didn't know how to help. Katara's first instinct was to harden her emotions and to tell him to get over it and fight for what he needed. That was her tactic while she was aiding those villages. She couldn't do that with this man. He was falling.

She didn't know if she'd be able to pick him up. She didn't know how.

She walked over to the large washtub and sat on the edge. She positioned her hands on the arrow wound that Zuko suffered and began to work on healing him. She could not ignore how muscular and taut he felt beneath her touch.

He would be her downfall. And for some reason, she did not mind so at all.

"I am appreciative of you," Katara remarked after a few minutes had gone by.

Zuko snorted.

"I'm serious. While I was out there helping everyone, I had no purpose."

"What are you talking about?" Zuko turned around to face the woman, disbelief clear on his scarred face, "Of course you had a purpose. You were helping those who were less fortunate."

Katara offered a sad smile with a shake of her head. He was a beautiful man even with the scar and bloodshot eyes that happened to grace his features.

"But I wasn't helping myself. Spending time with you lately has made me realize that. Would you mind if I joined you in there?"

A look of shock overtook Zuko's face. The drunken Fire Lord backed up in the washtub to make room as Katara stood. Shaking, due to exhilaration, she grabbed onto her pants firmly and pulled at the sash. It seemed like slow motion as the pants slid down her legs leaving her sleeveless top and undergarments in place.

The waterbender looked up coyly. Zuko had closed his eyes respectfully. Katara was over it. They wanted each other, she knew, and she was sick of skirting around the topic.

She stomped over to Zuko's bed and began to rustle through the bed coverings. She lifted the pillows before crouching down to look beneath the bed. There was a gold mine.

Katara pulled out a bottle of refined cactus juice and uncorked it.

"What are you doing?" Zuko questioned, alarm outlining his words.

"Getting on your level. We're going to talk and I would like to be inebriated too while doing so," she explained nonchalantly before tilting the bottle to her lips.

It didn't take long for the beverage of choice to begin to work its magic. It was a special mix flavored with fermented peaches making it easier to down. Of course, it would be fit for a king, or Fire Lord.

Zuko, ever so confused stared at the woman as she started to uncork another bottle.

Katara's tolerance for inebriating substances had definitely lowered while she was serving the world and just moments after she drank the first bottle she was drunk. It did not stop her from tilting the second bottle.

The Fire Lord did not know how to respond to this bizarre behavior and his lack of a response grew more intense when he noticed the tears that ran down the dark woman's face. He reached for his towel and seconds later he wore bottoms and was seated next to her on the floor.

"Why are you crying?"

"I don't know. I mean—I don't know how to help you find your mom or any evidence of her existence outside of this palace. I don't know how to find myself. And, I don't know how to live."

There was silence save for the fizzing bubbles in the washtub.

"Put down the bottle," Zuko stated firmly, sobriety coming to him quickly. This was ridiculous; the way that they were both acting.

"Zuko, I just want to forget everything."

The man stood up and walked over to the candles circling the washtub. He began to extinguish each one without the aid of firebending.

"Even me?" was his woeful reply.

x

Please forgive me for taking SO incredibly long to post another chapter. Before I knew it, time had gone by.

Enjoy; please leave feedback.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 

The room was dark with the only light being that of the hazy torches lit outside of the Fire Lord's bedroom. Although it was dark, Zuko found his way to Katara with hardly any trouble.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her up off of the floor before hugging her to his form, tightly.

"Do you remember our dance?"

Katara nodded against his bare chest, her tears coming to a stop. He smelled of spices and fire apples and she inhaled deeply to allow the smell to permeate her senses.

"Well, what are we listening to?" Zuko asked, loving the way it felt to have her in his arms again. They swayed slowly.

"The dripping of the washtub's drain, the burning of embers in the corridor, and the loud beating of your—Zuko, why is your heart beating so fast—."

Katara was cut off by Zuko's lips capturing her own. It was a nice kiss, much like the very first one they shared. Well, it wouldn't be by the time, Katara was done.

She kissed him back hungrily, her hands on his chest. She could give in to her feelings and then what? What would be the repercussions? Katara's musings caused her to stop the impending assault she set forth and she pushed the fire bender away.

"What the hell are we thinking?" Katara mumbled.

Zuko practically growled in annoyance and latched onto her arm firmly before she could walk more than a foot away.

"I asked you if you remembered our _dance_."

Katara's eyes widened in surprise as Zuko spun her around and pulled her flush against his chest, not gently. His hands moved to her waist.

She gasped loudly at the impact, all of her breath leaving her in a rush. She looked up at him, slowly, noticing that his jaw was set and that his eyes were matching, narrow slits. His brow-line was deeply furrowed. She hardly noticed the scar.

It shamed her to think that for a fleeting moment she was frightened of him causing her to take a step back until she saw the raw passion flaming in his amber-colored eyes.

Noticing that her right leg made a tentative step backward, Zuko moved his left foot forward. He pushed her back, back, back until she could feel the wall behind her.

Katara felt heat rise to her face and she looked away from his as it registered in her mind that he was shirtless and that she was also barely dressed. More heat when she realized that she could feel his arousal. And that old feeling of idle sensuality latched onto her thoughts once again.

She liked that she was dancing with flames and she loved that she was doing this to him.

As if he could read her thoughts, "You don't know what you do to me."

Katara looked up at Zuko's face once more to see that his eyes were closed, his frown gone. His warm forehead lowered to rest against hers.

"..Zuko…" Katara mumbled finally finding her voice. She began to tremble.

Zuko opened his eyes and leaned back. Tears were swimming in the waterbender's morning blue eyes.

He released her, groaning, and backed away before moving to turn away in shame. How dare he do such a thing to her? He wanted to punch himself for imposing on her personal space without permission; like she was his.

He felt her touch on his arm.

"I am so sorry I left you so long ago."

* * *

Haru found himself sitting in front of his commander alone after dinner. They were in Aang's wing of the palace in a private office that looked as if it was rarely used, if even used at all.

"Brother, I trust and respect you more than anyone else in outside of my family," Sokka started to say, slowly, his tone serious.

The air was still as if the winds had recognized the seriousness of the words that the Sword Squad leader had yet to speak. Haru stared at the tired-looking Water Tribe man.

"I need you to do something for me. I am taking leave soon and I want you to be in charge in my stead."

Haru lifted his eyebrows, allowing curiosity to run rampant throughout and within his mind.

"Sir?"

"I'm not going to tell you my reasoning for leaving and I hope you can respect that. Just know that I will be gone within the next two days and I trust that you'll do fine as a leader. Once everyone discovers that I'm gone, you will have to try very hard not to reveal that you'd spoken to me regarding my absence. Feign ignorance and confusion," Sokka leaned back in his chair, his shoulders slumped, and stared at the man as he waited patiently for a response.

Rather than with words, Haru's response was one of duty and honor. Sokka watched as he positioned his right fist over his heart to accept the task given to him by his leader.

Sokka smiled grimly, "Toph will be sending more members of the Kyoshi Warriors here within the next few weeks. Some of your fellow soldiers will be with them as well. Be mindful of who you discuss things with. Trust the men that we brought with us and for all others, only those you know."

Haru stood and bowed, his fist still at the right side of his chest.

"I accept any and all responsibility, Sir. I will diligently do as ordered and under the penalty of death shall I stray," Haru stated in acceptance of his new position.

Sokka was both elated and weary of the last part of Haru's acceptance. He was astonished to hear the old oath that the Sword Squad members were sworn in under. That oath hadn't been used since the second year of the squad's existence due to peaceful times.

He hadn't expected to hear it again and that's when he knew that he could definitely trust the earthbender in front of him.

Sokka nodded to dismiss the soldier.

At the door, Haru turned, "You be careful with whatever it is that you are doing, Sokka. Come back alive."

The Water Tribe warrior nodded sharply. His most trustworthy soldier closed the door and he was alone.

For the first time in a while, Sokka allowed his mind to stray. He wondered what his sister was up to on this night. He had gone to her room to speak with her one last time before he left but she wasn't there. She must have stayed with Zuko after healing him.

Sokka sighed in annoyance and jealousy. He knew that the two of them would do anything and everything for one another. He and Suki?

Sokka believed Azula and that thought alone made him grimace in anguish. He thought that he knew Suki well, but not enough it had seemed. The countless nights that they had spent wrapped in one another's arms while telling each other their silliest childhood memories were meaningless. Did she ever care?

She was working with the very people that he fought against for peace and prosperity. He shook his head to wipe the thoughts from his mind. Just a few weeks ago, he was celebrating how nice it was to not have to worry about war. Many of his men were too young to have experienced fighting the Fire Nation army five years ago. _His_ men. Hah.

No, not anymore. Still shaking his head, the Sword Squad leader stood up and left the Avatar's hardly used office. He walked to the room that he always occupied when he visited the palace. He hadn't been too shocked to see that his room had remained the same since he had last visited.

While he liked change, he also liked for things to remain constant.

Pillows still littered the elaborate carpets that adorned the palace's stone flooring. Sokka dropped down on a pillow. He would pack shortly for he would be leaving on this night.

Sokka positioned his body in a meditative pose. He needed to clear his mind so that he could keep focus. Things were going to be dangerous and he couldn't make stupid mistakes. There would be no one there to laugh at him, only to kill him.

He had a personal mission.

"…and only under the penalty of death shall I stray."

* * *

Well…it's been…AGES. I've been reading A LOT lately which has definitely helped me start writing again. I know that this is a shorter chapter but I have my reasons. I have many a trick up my sleeve for your reading pleasure. I even have an outline now.

Obviously there's more to this story than just simple Zutara smooching.

This is one of my favorite chapters although there may be a few flaws.

Tell me all about how much you enjoyed this chapter in a REVIEW! I'm eager to see what theories you may have!


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

It was morning. Katara could hear the birds chirping as she awakened. She lay still for a moment as she waited for her memories of the previous night to surface.

Right.

As always, she had cried herself asleep after an emotional evening with Zuko. She nearly scoffed at herself. When had she gotten so soft?

After she had confessed her feelings, Zuko had engulfed her in those big, warm arms of his, never mind his shoulder. He had proceeded to rub gentle circles on her back as she cried.

He didn't say anything. He had no need to. And he just let her cry, happy to be with her and even more happy that she wouldn't be leaving him. She would guess that he was pleased that she had been willing to open up to him.

She breathed deeply and snuggled closer, his shirtless figure the warmth to her cold, his scent spicy. She loved this.

There was a knock on the door and she tensed, having not sensed the person's heartbeat under her morning haze. She began to move as gently as she could to remove herselthefrom his arms without waking him.

"Katara, I've been awake since sunrise, though I _do_ appreciate your effort to leave me undisturbed. You would be the only one in this kingdom to do so, it would seem," the Fire Lord mumbled, tightening his unwounded arm around her.

She had forgotten that the people of the Fire Nation started their days early. While she would have loved nothing more than to stay in bed with him, snuggling and engaging in whatever other acts they could think of (at this thought, Katara blushed), it wouldn't be wise for his image if she was found amidst his light sheets in her undergarments.

Zuko opened his eyes and looked through the lashes of his good eye, to gaze at the head of unruly brown hair that rested on his chest. He sighed loudly and rolled off of the bed into a standing position. Fantasies of roasting the doorknocker danced in his head.

Katara closed her eyes, yawning, and buried herself deeper within the blankets, hoping that the maidservants weren't on their way in to straighten.

"Search the entire palace for any sign," Katara could hear Zuko say firmly. She opened her eyes and blinked, curiosity taking over.

"Sir, we did. We started with the kitchens. I had suspected that he would be there when he didn't relieve me of my post but there was no sign that he'd been in there."

It was Haru. Katara shot up in the bed, her heartbeat pacing fast.

* * *

"You mean to tell me that he disappeared with no sign?"

"Yes, there are no indications of foul play," Haru responded, concern etched in his voice.

Katara was pacing back and forth in her brother's room, stopping every so often to look behind the thick embroidered curtains or beneath the grand four poster bed for any type of sign...anything that would give them a clue with regards to her brother's disappearance.

Zuko stood at the door, arms crossed and brow furrowed.

"It seems like he just...left," the waterbender mumbled, more to herself than anyone else.

"Yes, it does. This is why we aren't going to say anything or do anything about it," Aang's voice could be heard. Zuko stepped aside as the last airbender walked in. The Fire Lord was visibly shocked.

"Close your mouth, Zuko," Aang said with a grin, "Haru I'm putting you in charge of the Squad. Any issues, contact me immediately. Brief your guys and let them know that Sokka has been instructed to return to headquarters." Haru bowed and took leave.

Katara looked up at Zuko then just in time to notice a slight twitch of his lips. Aang had authority in his voice and he actually sounded like a well-seasoned leader.

"Do you think he's alright?" Katara inquired of no one in particular, referring to her missing brother.

"I'd bet on it," came the Avatar's response.

* * *

"You look awful."

Sokka slammed down his wooden cup, annoyance clear across his face. He had been at an inn for the past few days and now, he was delighting in their pub.

"I'm aware. It's about time that you showed. I've been waiting for three days," the warrior grumbled. He glared up at the older woman and inwardly cursed. She was still as beautiful as ever.

"I had a few jobs to take care of. I couldn't just drop them. Not even for you," June the bounty hunter smirked before allowing her features to relax as she sat down across from him. She raised her arm and snapped her fingers to notify the server that she needed a drink. She was there often enough. They knew what she liked.

The two sat like that for a few minutes sizing up the other. Though the warrior had a recent scruffiness about him, he was still boyishly handsome. His sun-scorched tan skin was indicative of his travels and his laugh lines shined through when he grimaced but neither trait was to be considered negative. The years had been kind to him.

"I need you to get me through the Great Divide. Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of my military vessels or I'd sail around the entire damn continent."

June quirked her brow at his bequest. This wasn't a Council-funded 'adventure' then. Her interest instantly peaked. She hadn't been in contact with the man for years, choosing to live her life as she always had, alone, save for her Nyla. She slouched back into her chair and studied Sokka's expression and posture.

She knew better than to ask him _why_ he needed her assistance. June's drink was placed in front of her and she quickly grabbed it and downed nearly half of it in one gulp. Sokka looked at her, a shadow of his normal cluelessness present. What internal struggle was this man going through?

"What? It's been a long day. My bounty almost got away at the last moment thanks to you. I need time to study my prey before going in. You hardly gave me any notice. How did you find me anyway?" June scowled.

"You track in a triangular pattern, to size up the suspect before you pounce. I've studied your movements for the past few years just in case I'd need your assistance."

June blinked. Damn. She hasn't even realized that she moved in a pattern. Count on him to notice.

"You've studied me?"

Sokka looked up at the woman calculatingly, his hand tight around his glass. He noticed the bemused smirk creeping on to the woman's face.

"I do that," he responded gruffly before standing, "I'll speak more about it at first light."

Sokka took off to start his climb toward the third floor of the inn, where he was staying. He nearly made it to his room when his senses were alerted by the interruption of the shadows behind him.

The bounty hunter's back was slammed against the cold wood of the inn's eastern wall.

Her ever-present smirk was still there.

"Oh, stop with the face," Sokka spoke before pushing his lips roughly against June's. Ever so limber, June lifted her legs to wrap them around the strongly built body of the sword master.

She had followed him to his room stealthily. Or so she had thought. She couldn't help it. The man intrigued her.

He had for years.

* * *

:)


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Sokka hadn't allowed for anything to advance after he had kissed the older woman. No matter what, he was a man of honor and despite his _girlfriend's_ traitorous behavior, he couldn't be the unfaithful one.

He had cared for her for a number of years. A care, he would later realize, that had been ebbing away since before he had even received the call from Toph to go speak to the Fire Nation princess.

He would be a fool not to admit to himself that there was sexual tension between he and June but frankly, that's all it was and he couldn't get distracted from his mission. Not now. She was a means to an end for it wouldn't be a particularly gruesome end.

He knew that things weren't going to go smoothly once the rebels found out that he had left the Fire Nation. They had posts all over the continent and once they discovered that he traveled without his men, they'd try to kill him. It was simple.

There was a knock on his door. He had barely gotten any sleep, as usual, but his reflexes were still sharp. He sat up from his position on the bed and grasped the handle of his sword that was never too far from his person. He narrowed his eyes as the door handle turned. June walked in and he relaxed.

He knew that she possessed no hard feelings from his rejection the previous night and he appreciated that she understood him. They were as much alike as they were polar opposites.

"We need to get a move on," June spoke, crossing her arms, "How soon do you want to get to where you're trying to go?"

Sokka thought carefully before responding. They were in the coal mining village that was native to Haru and fortunately for Sokka, Haru had told him of some tunnels that he had personally created as a safety precaution through the mountains, months ago. Sokka had mentally recorded each of the tunnel locations and he knew just the one to take that would lead them out of the village.

He had noticed the stares from some of the seedy looking barfolk. He was sort of famous and knew that it wouldn't be long before negative attention was on him. Luckily, word got around fairly slow from continent to continent and he hoped with all his might that when he made his appearance at The Asylum, his position as Sword Squad leader wouldn't be questioned.

Sokka stood up and grabbed his bag and sword. "As soon as possible. That's why I need you to get me through the Great Divide and Serpent's Pass."

June nodded and turned to lead him towards the inn's stairs but Sokka had reached out to grab her arm. She turned her head over her shoulder, tense.

"Things are going to get rough so if you want to back out, this is your chance," the man spoke softly.

June nodded sharply while gently tugging her arm out of his grasp, "I like to play rough".

* * *

"When will we be leaving to seek King Bumi?" Katara questioned Zuko.

It had been a week and a half since Sokka was discovered missing. They were in the Fire Lord's wing of the palace both sitting on the edge of his bed contemplating their next course of action. It was dusk and they had barely left one another's side since their drunken confessions though earlier in the day, Zuko had left Katara to speak with his council and Aang while she trained in the gardens.

"Two days. And not just for the sake of figuring out where my mother is. A World Council meeting has been called for in Ba Sing Se, no doubt to discuss the rebellion. Bumi will be there," Zuko sighed.

Katara blinked. Surely things had to be bad all over for a World Council Meeting. She looked at Zuko's face to note a familiar look of determination on his spreading across his features. That look was one that she hadn't seen since before they had left on the original pursuit of his mother.

"You're not going to like what I have to say next, Katara." The waterbender had absolutely no clue what he was going to tell her and that worried her especially the tone he used as he said her name.

"I am Sokka's commanding officer. It's evident that he wasn't abducted so I have to declare him away without permission to leave. You know what that means."

Katara stood up and she felt her heart drop. Her brother had deserted his post. He'd have to go to trial which would most likely lead to imprisonment.

"Maybe he left under orders from Toph? Isn't she higher in the command than you are? Maybe she gave him more important orders?" the woman paced, her voice filled with both hope and confusion.

Zuko sighed loudly. He loved her but duty was duty.

"If only that were the case. I haven't gotten any notification regarding any other orders. He's supposed to be here guarding the palace. I know that he's your brother. Hell, he's my friend. _ My_ brother. But he knows the consequences following each of his actions when he's in that uniform. I can only hope that he knows what he's doing", Zuko sighed again before continuing, "There's going to be a bounty on his head, from today onward."

Katara stopped her pacing and narrowed her eyes before cutting them over at Zuko.

"What?" Her teeth were clenched angrily and her tone was clipped. Zuko stood and grabbed Katara's forearm bringing her around to face him.

"You forget that I have a responsibility here, Katara. The council here, they feel that Sokka could be a part of the rebellion since he's pulled this stunt. There's been evidence that there's someone on the inside providing them with information and access to important locations. I hope that you remember that we were just recently attacked."

"And you think that MY BROTHER is behind it all? Are you fucking kidding me?"

Zuko flinched at her anger, releasing her arm. He wasn't sure that he had ever heard her speak so harshly.

"No. Of course I don't. Aang and I are positive that there are members in my council...probably all of them...that are corrupt and they want to pin it on someone else. Sokka's the obvious choice due to his desertion."

Katara's lips trembled and her frown dissolved. She wrapped her arms around her upper body.

"The bounty? What are the specifics?" The woman asked almost inaudibly.

"A generous sum for him to be brought back here alive. I had to put my foot down regarding that last part. The council would love nothing more than to have their scapegoat killed."

Katara released a small sigh of relief and leaned against her anchor to the world. Just when things started to look up... Zuko could feel the despair radiating off of her.

"Here, let me draw you a bath," Zuko spoke bringing his hands up to cup her elbows despite the tingling ache in his shoulder.

* * *

Xxx

There goes an abundance of politcal mayhem for you. Get your tissues out, we won't be seeing Sokka for a bit. But be prepared for darkness and...romance in his stead. After all, this is a Zutara fic. How do you think June's going to respond to the bounty on Sokka's head? I also have a clear direction of where I'm going with this, so bear with me. It will be finished.

Review with you predictions! I quite enjoy reading WHY you guys like each chapter! It gives me reason to continue


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